NovelEnglishCarol finished her dinner alone, the clinking of silverware against the plate her only company. The maid, quiet as a mouse, ventured a question, "Shall I set aside sfor him?" "No need. He can dine on the cold comfort of the night air." The maid dared not utter another word and continued to wipe down the table in silence.
After dinner, Carol retreated to her bedroom for a soothing bath.
As she was about to sink into her bed, her phone buzzed with a message from her father, Abner.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtIt turns out Felix hadn't lied-Abner wasn't locked away from the world. He was still in touch with the outside, and now, a team of professionals was tending to his health. Carol breathed a sigh of relief.
[Carol, what are you up to?] [Heading to bed, Dad. How are you feeling?] [Not too bad. Survived the slammer without kicking the bucket, must be the old Miller family luck.] Carol, completely missing the undertone in her father's text, felt a flare of anger.
[Dad, I'm sorry. It's all my fault.] No sooner had she sent the message than Abner, ever the tactician, probed.
[What about that boy?] [Kneeling outside, acting crazy. No idea what got into him tonight.] A wave of satisfaction washed over Abner. He casually placed a chess piece on the board and, without a second thought, declared to his buddy across the table, "Checkmate. You lost, my friend." His friend, cursing under his breath, put down his own piece and took a deep breath.
"Crafty fox, I could've had this game." Two others, who had been watching the game, couldn't help but ask Abner, "Who's on the other end of those messages?" "Carol." Speaking of which, one of them teased, "You sly old fox, you've snagged a fine son-in-law. Carol's your only child, and everyone in que circle has eyes on your fortune Now, Felix, with his heart of stone, has taken over, yet he didn't even dare change the name. Did you have this all planned out?" In their circle, it was rare for daughters to carry on the family legacy.
Daughters might receive a portion of the inheritance, but ingrained attitudes always favored sons as the standard bearers.
Unlike the others, Abner hadn't remarried after his wife's passing et nor he taken any mistresses, so Carol truly was his only child.
In other wealthy families, you'd find a slew of illegitimate children vying to take over the empire.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmMany thought that leaving the fortune to a daughter meant handing it over to the son-in-law.
When Abner first got locked up, his friends thought the old fox was done for. He had messed up big time.
Even with compensation paid, it didn't treachthe victims due to his negligence. They couldn't imagine the life Felix led with a sickly little girl by his side all these years, They even considered bringing extra treats for Abner when visiting him in prison, to send him off properly.
But then, as quick as lightning, Abner was out of prison.
And just as quickly, all his assets were tied up in a trust for an unborn grandchild.
Did Felix's maneuvers with the Miller Group stocks multiply its value several times over, only to end up with nothing? Abner had always said he'd choose a capable son-in-law when people advised him to have more children.
Others mocked him, "Every son-in-law out there eyes your family fortune, don't they?" Considering Carol's fearlessness, if she fell for a man, the Millers might as well hand over everything. Abner was still young, yet he could afford to throw in the towel and enjoy his days leisurely in his estate. Abner waved them off with a smirk, "If you're jealous, feel free to take a tour behind bars yourselves."
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