Page 20 of Knot Your Pucking Secret

“He didn’t leave you an inheritance. Lennon.” His gaze holds mine. “He left you an empire.”

I curse Brett’s name for the hundredth time since I sat down. For trying to take this away from me. Granted, it’s more money than I know what to do with. But he was going to deny me something my family wanted for me. I would have been happy with an old sports card collection. An old shirt my father mighthave worn when he was younger. This? Over two billion dollars? This is insane!

I spend the next couple of hours sifting through the documents, and organizing the transfer with Julian. We speak about Brett and a plan of attack to ensure he doesn’t catch wind of any of this. Apparently, he’s made more than a few bad investments, and he’s found himself in a dangerous financial position. He saw this as a way to purchase the team, according to Julian. He let it slip that he wanted to take back my father’s legacy, my real father, which can only mean he wanted to purchase the team for himself. But why? He isn’t interested in hockey. As far as I know, he made his own way in the world.

We have plenty of ammunition to pursue claims for fraud, fraudulent inducement, tortious interference, attempted theft by deception, and whatever else discovery uncovers.

But there’s one thing that remains true after today.

I am wealthy beyond words. Beyond any of my imagination.

Two billion dollars is far too much money for any one person to possess in their life. But that is about to be my reality.

“I want you to read over this document very carefully before you sign it. Even though your parents ensured that there would be no conditions tied to your inheritance whatsoever, I don’t want you to be surprised by anything.”

I nod, taking the file before reading it over. It is almost a relief to read something so perfectly outlined. There are no loopholes, no sneakily worded fine print sections. Nothing apart from information given without any lies or bullshit.

Eventually, once I am confident I have read and understood everything, I pick up the pen, finding the area already tabbed for me, awaiting my signature.

“Julian?”

“Hm?”

“This is the first time I’m signing with my birth name.”

He chuckles. “Do you want a spare piece of paper to practice?”

“No. I’ve got it.”

Nothing but silence fills the room as I slide the paperwork back over to Julian who signs the document as well before sealing it away.

“I will hand these to the court this afternoon. You have my direct line. Don’t hesitate to call if you have any concerns. I know you know how these things go, but of course, if there’s anything you need, please, do not hesitate to reach out. It would be an honor to carry this through, Lennon.”

I nod, standing up before holding my hand out to shake his. “Thank you Mr. Smith for all of your help in this process.”

“Off the record, I need to ask. Do you have any plans in mind for the money?”

I chew on my lip for a moment, pondering his question. There are so many things that I could do with the money. I could buy a big fuck off mansion, luxury cars and fashion pieces. I could buy my own jet and travel the world, never settling in one place for too long. I could disappear tomorrow and never have to work another day in my life.

But there is only one thing that feels right to me.

Money has never been the thing that motivated me.

Justice has.

Family has.

Home has.

The answer comes so naturally that I’m almost annoyed I had to think about it at all.

“I am going back to Vadena to buy back the Cardinals.”

It feels strange to be back at the Cardinals headquarters. Months have passed since I last walked through these doors, yet somehow it feels as though I’ve been gone for years. While nothing has changed, it feels like everything has shifted beneath the surface. The walls are still the same, the faint scent of freshly brewed coffee, expensive cologne and sharpened skate blades lingering in the air, but there is an emptiness to it now. The warmth I had once felt is gone. In its place sits a chill, one that settles deep beneath my skin and follows me through every corridor, as though the building itself is still mourning everything it lost.

That's the first thing I will be changing.

It was almost pathetic the way the board scrambled when I called back saying that I would buy back the team for their enormous price. I’d barely finished my sentence before calendars were being rearranged, meetings postponed and executives who had conveniently ignored my calls for months suddenly finding all the time in the world. The same board that had been so quick to cast me aside suddenly couldn’t return my calls fast enough. Funny what a couple billion dollars and a rightful owner will do to people’s priorities.