Page 131 of Tyler's Rule
While Cochran moved the meeting on, I waved to Lovelyn and indicated for her to pass me her phone. She did, and I tapped out a note for her.
Could you please ask Arran about Tyler? He might have spoken to him.
She nodded hastily and started typing. But then my friend blanched, got up, and walked into the hallway.
Cochran waffled about the legal part of the will then tapped a stack of papers. “Now onto the provision. These are Austin Marchant’s words, given himself to me in a meeting shortly before he passed. I, Austin Marchant, being of sound mind…”
I stared after Lovelyn, wondering what had spooked her, then she appeared once more at the entrance to the hall. Something like fear held in her eyes.
“What?” I mouthed.
How could this day possibly get worse?
She held up a finger for me to wait, her phone gripped as if it were a weapon.
“Not Tyler,” I begged.
Her head shake in the negative enabled me to pull my attention back to the meeting. I caught a flash of a message notification at the top of my screen. Cassie. It was gone before I could see any words.
Cochran continued. “My estate and personal holdings go entirely to my beloved wife, Primrose.”
Wallace’s jaw dropped. “What?”
Cochran didn’t stop. “Marchant Haulage is to be split equally between Primrose and my surviving children and grandchildren. Each award falls under the same provision.” The solicitor swung his gaze around the table, capturing everyone’s attention. “That only those who vote to continue to operate Marchant Haulage, my legacy, as an ongoing concern, are entitled to inherit. Those who abstain or vote to close it will forfeit their claim entirely. Any abstaining vote will be gifted to the power of my trusted companies with the same rules applicable.”
Wallace stared. “So I inherit nothing but the business, and only if I vote to keep the fucking thing running? Where’s my money? What about me?”
Cochran dipped his head. “Your father wrote to you personally. It’s a lengthy letter?—”
“Summarise it,” Wallace griped.
“Very well. He felt that greater involvement in the world of business would do you good. He wanted the family brought together under the umbrella of his legacy.”
To the sound of Wallace’s complaining, the solicitor kept going.
“That concludes the will in full. Mrs Primrose Marchant, Wallace, Kane, Darcy, and Emilia, tomorrow, we will reconvene to carry out Austin’s wishes and the vote on the future of the company. I will send the arrangements in due course.”
I hung up the call.
I’d heard enough, and whatever Lovelyn had to say scared the life out of me.
“What did Arran say?”
She gulped. “He hasn’t seen Tyler either. He’s worried. But it isn’t that. Cassie messaged.”
The world seemed to fold in around her words.
“Your identity has been leaked online. I’m so sorry, but your name, picture, and your job are out there.”
She held out her phone.
I took it with numb fingers.
At first, it didn’t make sense. Just a blur of text and images, too many colours, too much drama. Then it sharpened.
My face.
A photo I knew next to another I didn’t even remember being taken. The first was from the club with me in hot-as-hell red leather. The other was from years ago, pulled from somewhere I didn’t want to think about. Side by side. Before and after.
