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“Everything happens for a reason. You’ll see. Something amazing will come out of all of this.”
CHAPTER 3
ONE MONTH LATER
Miles
I sat at the table in my attorney’s office as he held my mother’s will in his hand.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Miles.”
“I appreciate that, Nolan, but we know what kind of woman she was.”
“She has left her estate to your uncle.”
“What? What about the company?” I shifted in my chair.
“You’re not going to like it.”
“Just spit it out, Nolan.”
“Your uncle was given the temporary position of Chairman and CEO.”
“What the fuck do you mean? That company belongs to me!”
“Relax, Miles. She has certain stipulations in place. If you marry within a year and stay married for at least one year, the company will be yours. If not, your uncle will permanently hold the title of CEO, and you will remain the president.”
“Excuse me?” My brow arched. “That company is rightfully mine, regardless of my marital status,” I shouted, slamming my fist on the table.
“I’m sorry, Miles.”
“That woman was out of her mind. Make no mistake, Nolan. I will be contesting that will.”
“You can’t. She included a no-contest clause. She put this clause in her will a year ago, well before she was diagnosed with cancer. She wasn’t being manipulated, there was no technical error, and she had no diminished mental capacity. Also, she already has the company documents signed and in place. There are two copies. One with your name as CEO and one with your uncle’s name. It’s up to you and how badly you want to take over the company.”
“My uncle is an idiot. He makes bad business decisions and will bankrupt the damn company.” I stood from my chair.
“Then I suggest you find a wife and closely watch Ben.” His brow arched. “There’s one more thing. Your mother also stated that you must live together if you choose to marry.” He looked down at the will. “She says, and I quote, ‘In the event Miles chooses to marry, his new bride will move into his penthouse, and they shall live as a married couple. If he chooses to marry out of deception in order to gain control of Bradshaw Capital, the company documents shall be processed immediately, appointing my brother, Ben Hartman, CEO of Bradshaw Capital.”
“This is bullshit.” I stormed out of his office.
* * *
“Miles, you have—” my secretary, Isla, started to speak.
“I don’t want to hear about anything,” I growled, stepping into my office and slamming the door.
Walking over to the bar, I picked up the bottle of bourbon and poured it into a glass, throwing the liquid down the back of my throat to calm my nerves. My office door opened. My Uncle Ben walked in, took one look at me, and made himself comfortable on my couch.
“I take it you spoke to Nolan,” he said.
“Yeah.” I poured myself another drink.
“I’m sorry, Miles. I’ll be moving into your mother’s office this afternoon.”
“You know this is bullshit.” I pointed at him.
“It’s what my sister wanted. You can’t contest the will because of the no-contest clause. She didn’t like the way you live your life. That’s why she put me in charge of the company. I’ve been faithfully married to Alicia for over thirty-five years, and I have my shit together.”
