Page 61 of Heartless Legacy

What’s to explain? He’s got money. I don’t. “Well, you see, I-” Joshua swipes a hand across the back of his neck. “Considering the circumstances…”

The first guy who asked what I’m bringing to the table says, “Did you not issue your daughter her shares when she became of age?”

“Hailee was gone. There was no way to find her.”

“And what of your other daughter?”

Joshua looks at me, and I look at him right back, just as curious about his answer as everyone else. He replies, “She didn’t marry a legacy family, so I thought it-”

The first guy interrupts him. “You thought you’d retain the money earmarked for her inheritance. For both of their inheritances to punish them.” He scratches his chin. “I understand that.”

The tension in Joshua’s shoulders loosen, but then the man says, “What I don’t understand is why your granddaughter didn’t receive Hailee’s shares as soon as she arrived in town.”

Through gritted teeth, Joshua says, “She’s not Hailee’s daughter.”

“Ah. Yes. Biologically she’s not. But there was tons of paperwork presented that said she was. We didn’t learn of the deception until later.” The man waves his hand as if shooing a fly away. “Nevertheless, once we resolved things and reinstated you, why didn’t you release the funds?”

My brain is short circuiting. I know Moira and Scott have good jobs, but I assumed that in order for them to live wherethey do, there had to be some kind of trust fund supplementing their lifestyle. This man, in the corner, is saying it’s not.

Someone in the back speaks next. “Now I want to make sure I’ve got this straight. Moira never received a disbursement when she married?”

Joshua confirms, “She did not.”

“And your granddaughter hasn’t received a disbursement from Hailee’s account or the funds withheld from Moira, either?” My attention is momentarily drawn away from the front of the room as someone slips out of their chair and exits through a side door. When I turn back, I make the mistake of looking at Joshua. He’s glaring at me like this line of questioning is my fault. I don’t want his money. I’ve been adamant about that, and I didn’t know he was required by league law to give me any.

Pax said twenty-five percent of the company was the agreement with the league once I was married, but this sounds like some other type of compensation. Money I’m supposed to have access to now. Not just a family credit card like the one Scott gave me. It sounds like I’m supposed to have my own bank account and trust fund, just for being born.

Behind the anger on his face, Joshua looks uneasy. As if he’s been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He has a right not to share his fortune. I understand and respect that, but this whole thing feels off… is it not his money they’re talking about?

That question gets answered before I’ve finished taking my next breath. The man who left returns to chambers with someone following behind him, holding what looks like one of those old-fashioned accounting ledgers in his hand.

“Clayton. We have a few questions. We are on record.”

“Understood.” The man looks at me. There’s a small tilt to his lips before his gaze swings to Joshua.

The first man is speaking again. “It’s been brought to our attention that the Montrose family funds held in trust on behalfof Hailee Laurent may not have been allocated according to her great-grandfather’s terms.” He gestures towards the book the man, Clayton, is holding. “Are those the archived documents?”

“They are.” He says, handing them to the man who’s been asking the questions.

The council member flips through several pages, then says, “You were appointed executor of the, but the terms are clear. The first ten percent of Hailee Laurent’s trust should have been disbursed at sixteen. Another ten percent at eighteen. Thirty percent at twenty-one, and the remaining amount once she reached twenty-five. In the event she was deceased or incapacitated, her trust would pass to any children she had or a relative of her choosing.”

He flips a few more pages and looks up at Joshua. “Hailee signed a document at age fifteen, indicating if she had no children, then her trust would go to Moira.”

Well,shit. My gaze swings back to Joshua. It’s one thing to withhold his money, but he’s holding on to someone else’s money. Mom definitely never touched that trust fund while we were in hiding. If she had, they would’ve found us years ago. Everyone assumed mom was dead, so that money should have gone to Moira fifteen years ago.

The book closes with a heavy thump. The council member in charge stares down at Joshua and says, “See that you rectify this accounting error immediately.”

After that, they return their attention to me, and the judgement portion of the trial begins. They tally my points and give me a massive point deduction for my absence, which puts me at the bottom of the scoreboard and far away from any chance I had at a meritorious promotion to second-year prospect.

I think about all the challenge items I collected, and how many more points I’ll lose if another prospect gets their handson them. I don’t know if my stash is still in the same place. If it is, I’ll need to move it.

That spot is way too close to where I stabbed Michael. There’s no telling how many of the Skullz he was actually working with, or if Saint’s had a chance to weed out the traitors. If the items aren’t there, I’ll figure out a way to track them down and get them back.

The tribunal dismisses, and I wait until the dais is empty before leaving the room, ignoring the feeling of Joshua glaring at my back.

I’m approaching the exit to The Tomb when Malcolm steps out of a corridor to my right. I can see the disdain in his eyes. The snarl on his lips conveys exactly what he thinks of me and expects of me.

Standing here is jarring. Seeing him makes me want to take a step back and press my back against the wall, but I force myself not to run away or show any traces of discomfort. I can’t let him know that his mere presence has me on the verge of a panic attack.

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