Page 4 of Shattered Throne
"Yes." My grandmother turned to look at me. "Gerald, please begin the process of removing my grandson from my will."
"Certainly." His pen moved across the page. "I'll have the preliminary documents ready for your signature by tomorrow morning."
I watched my grandmother sit there, serene as a Buddha, while her attorney took notes about cutting me off. The whiskey sat forgotten in my hand. "You can't be serious."
My grandmother raised an eyebrow. "Can't I?"
"This is..." I set down my glass before I threw it. "I'm your grandson. You can't cut me off because I won't get married on your timetable."
"I can do whatever I like with my money. You've wasted three months, Xavier." She tilted her head. "You have six months left. I suggest you use them wisely."
Gerald's pen hovered over his notebook. My grandmother watched me with those sharp brown eyes, waiting. The whole thing felt like a play I hadn't been given the script for.
I knew my grandmother. I knew the difference between her dramatic flourishes and her actual intentions. And right now, watching her sit there with her hands folded and her expression serene, I realized she meant every word.
She would do it. She would actually do it.
Well, damn. Seems like I’d been backed into a corner. "Fine."
My grandmother smiled, and I instantly regretted my decision. "Gerald, hold off on the paperwork. For now."
Gerald closed his notebook. My grandmother reached for her teacup. And I stood there, feeling like I'd just signed away my entire life.
Then there was a knock at the door.
Of course. Because this night wasn't humiliating enough.
Sebastian walked in without waiting for an answer. My brother surveyed the scene with his usual intense expression. He took in our grandmother on the couch, the lawyer in the armchair, and me standing by the window, looking like I'd just lost a fight.
His gaze lingered on my half-open shirt, the lipstick I still hadn't wiped off. One eyebrow lifted a fraction of an inch. That was Sebastian's version of open mockery.
"Grandmother." He nodded at her. "Is everything okay?"
"It depends." She gestured for him to sit. He remained standing. "I want Xavier to have a role at the company."
Sebastian glanced at me, at our grandmother, then back at me again. "Fine. You can have a small role in marketing since you know all those people. You might as well put all that socializing to good use."
"No." My grandmother shook her head. "I want him to be Vice President."
The entire room plunged into silence. I would have laughed if they weren’t discussing my life as if it were the weather.
Sebastian went very still. "Absolutely not."
"Sebastian..."
"He has no experience. No training. He's never worked a day in his life. He'll destroy everything I've built."
"Hey." I straightened from my position by the window. "Standing right here."
Sebastian turned to me. His expression didn't change, but his eyes went cold. Colder than usual, which was saying something. "Fine. Tell me. What would the Vice President even do?"
I opened my mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. "I... would..." Nothing. I had nothing. "Oversee... things?"
"Things." Sebastian turned back to our grandmother. "Do you see? He can't even pretend to know what he's talking about. This is insane."
"Xavier is your brother." My grandmother's voice hardened. "He's capable of learning. Teach him."
"Teach him?" Sebastian laughed. "You want me to teach him how to run a company he's never shown the slightest interest in?"
