Chapter 164 Reading the Will
The room fell into a stunned silence as the lawyer’s words hung in the air. Lien’s face turned a deep shade of red, and her fists clenched tightly in rage. Cato, his expression one of disbelief, sat back down slowly, his body stiffening as he processed the information.
“Stacy William’s daughter?” Lien finally managed to spit out, her voice dripping with venom. “What is this nonsense? There is no such person! My father would never…!”
The lawyer remained composed, unaffected by Lien’s outburst. “I can assure you, Ms. Lien, that this was Sir William’s final wish. The legal process was followed to the letter, and there is documentation proving her identity as his daughter.”
The room felt suffocating, the tension palpable. Lien’s face twisted with confusion and anger. She had spent years scheming, positioning herself to inherit everything, and now this stranger, this “daughter” who had apparently been kept hidden, was the one set to receive everything. It was a blow she couldn’t have anticipated.
“I knew it. I knew I couldn’t trust that woman,” Lien muttered to herself, shaking her head. “She had everything handed to her, and now she’s getting even more.”
Cato’s mind raced. The woman the lawyer referred to as “Stacy William’s daughter” had to be the child of Stacy—Stacy, the woman who had caused such turmoil in their lives. But why hadn’t they known about her before? And why hadn’t Herman ever mentioned her? This was a revelation that changed everything.
“Who is she?” Cato asked, his voice tight, as he tried to regain some semblance of control. “Where is this daughter now?”
The lawyer adjusted his glasses and pulled out a thick folder from his briefcase, flipping through a few papers before speaking again. “Her name is Athena. She is the biological daughter of Stacy William and was raised outside of the Stella family. Her whereabouts have been kept confidential until recently, and I am here to ensure that she receives her rightful inheritance according to Sir William’s wishes.”
A murmur of surprise rippled through the room. Athena? The same woman who had been so supportive of Rose, the woman who had appeared at the funeral? Lien’s eyes narrowed, her suspicion mounting. Could this Athena really be the child of Stacy, the one who had torn her family apart?
Rose, who had been sitting quietly through the reading of the will, suddenly spoke up. “Athena,” she said softly, almost as if testing the name. “That name feels so familiar.”
Her voice was low, but the words were sharp. There was no mistaking the connection Rose felt toward Athena. Athena was the daughter of Stacy, the woman Rose had once believed had wronged her family so deeply. But now, Rose’s perspective was shifting. She had watched Athena care for her, seen the warmth in her eyes, and the sincerity in her actions. Could Athena, despite her origins, be the key to healing the rifts in the family?
The lawyer continued, unaware of the tension in the room, “Sir William’s assets will be transferred in accordance with the stipulations of the will, and as his legitimate heir, Ms. Athena William will now be the sole inheritor of his estate.”
Lien looked as though she might explode. Her entire life had been about chasing after the family fortune, but now it seemed all of it was slipping through her fingers. She had been outmaneuvered by this mysterious daughter, and no amount of anger would change it.
“I will not accept this!” Lien yelled, slamming her fist onto the table. “This… this is absurd!”
The lawyer’s expression remained impassive. “This is the final will of Sir William. If there are objections, they must be settled in court.”
Cato glanced at Lien, a cold expression settling over his face. He, too, was grappling with the truth of it all, but he had learned long ago that in this world, everything had a price. And the price for their failure, their manipulation, and their greed was this: Athena’s inheritance.
Athena.
Her name echoed in Cato’s mind. Who was she really? And why had she been kept hidden all these years? These questions would haunt him for a long time, but for now, the truth was undeniable. The legacy of the Stella family was no longer his to claim.
“This isn’t over,” Lien hissed through clenched teeth. “Not by a long shot.”
As the lawyer stood, preparing to leave, the weight of the situation began to settle in. Rose looked at the others, her face a mask of resignation. She had long since stopped trying to fight for what was hers by right. Instead, she had been forced to accept the strange, painful twists of fate that had brought her to this point.
And yet, she couldn’t help but wonder about Athena. What would the young woman do with all that she had inherited? Would she seek vengeance, or would she look to reconcile the past with the present?
Rose couldn’t be sure, but one thing was certain: the past was never truly gone. And for all the pain it had caused, it still had a way of coming back to haunt those who least expected it.