The Contract Scheme

and tycoons , dressed in silk black , with bodyguards around them. One would thin

g up to me. "We have to head home soon. Th

w do you read a dead person's w

It has to be

before moving on. I want to see if I can strike up a conversation

my dad in less than ten minutes, and I'm already think

king up to me - Dad's

smiles. "Ho

u. How do you do?" I rep

t. Where's

s just go

of her , " he says with a sympathetic expression on hi

sir, I

nything, feel free

y, s

ys as he gives me a light, fatherly pat

s it's time to

d see Mum, Aunt Vera, and Aunt Lillian - Dad's sisters ; Collins, Jude, Stephanie, and Rina - my cousins ; lots of oth

t care. I greet Mum and walk pas

aks the silence. "You

ou, Mrs.

I'm not even paying attention. I'm

esent. "I bequeath Hartley Holdings, on the condition that she weds within two weeks of this being read. Sh

th goe

f everyone else in the room had taken a collect

eeks?

make them change. Two weeks to find a husband, or everything I've worked for - everything I'd gi

Some sick, twisted power

eurosurgery, and stepped into the cold marble floors of Hartley Holdings just to prove I could be the daughter he expected me to be. I traded ex

t

how he r

married in two weeks or lose everything. Like I was some pawn i

Raymond says, his voice softer now. "

al

laugh o

ed life on his terms? Even in death, he was pulling the strin

ation burning inside me. My fists clench in my lap, nails digging in

I ask, my voice sha

sitating. "Yes... that

smug or amused. I catch my Aunt Vera smirking behind her lace handkerchief. Of co

th

my skirt with deliberate ca

od. "Rachel, if you'd l

" I cut in befor

il most of them shift away. They'd waited for me to fall apart. Prayed fo

d to play games with m

in two we

take everything he'd built

quite apprehensively, "

. Jeremy will

never even visited. As the crystals sparkled like a sky of tiny suns, a dark thought crossed my mind. I wish-just for a fleeting, wicked moment-that Dad was sitting right beneath it. And then, just as suddenly, the whole damn thing would come crashing down on his arrogant head.

's trying to process it too. I bounce to my feet and as

om...make it both flavours...with rainbow sprinkles...thank you." I shouldn't be taking such sweet things, but I need it right now. This is unfair. I'm the reason why Hartley Holdings is where it is today. In fact, I've

hug, and I just stay still. "How are you?" she says as she pulls away and looks at me."Fine." "Yeah, right, spill. It's been a long day" I sigh. Of course I could talk to her about it. Another knock raps on the door. It better be my order this time. I open up, and it is. "Uh, could you make this again, please, at least triple? I have a guest