Chapter 463

Chapter 463:

“One million? Out of billions p>

“There’s no way. Ashton, are you sure you read that properly p>

Ashton held up the sheaf of papers. “Positive. It’s right here in black and white. The will was notarized. And the one who drafted the will is standing right here p>

Marlowe stepped forward on cue. “The instructions were clear. That’s the allocation p>

Someone raised their voice. “What about the rest? Even after giving one million each, there’s still a huge chunk left. Where’s the rest of the money p>

Ashton said, “Donated. All of it. To charity p>

The silence this time was much longer, heavier.

Gwendolyn broke the silence with a shriek. “He wouldn’t leave us with nothing! Edouard wouldn’t do that p>

A woman near her agreed. “One million’s pathetic. He might as well have given us a bloody coupon p>

A man shrugged. “Hell, I’ll take it. You don’t want your share, hand it over p>

The tension escalated quickly.

Dozens of voices overlapped, some shouting louder than others.

A man near the window jabbed a finger into another’s chest.

Two cousins I didn’t recognize started bickering about who was closer in bloodline.

A few of the out-of-towners stood off to the side, clinging to their phones, grinning as if they’d just won a scratch card.

Ashton let them go on for a minute, then raised his voice.

“Enough! This is a hospital, not a barroom. What’s written stands. No amount of complaining will change that p>

The noise faded.

One man in a corduroy blazer made a loud scoff and stormed out.

keeps you updated

“What a waste of a day,” someone muttered behind him. “Could’ve stayed home p>

“Let’s go. This was a bust.” People began trickling out.

Handbags snapped shut. Suit jackets were yanked from chairs.

Within minutes, the room was cleared, with only Ashton and I left.

Gwendolyn hesitated in the doorway, shot Ashton a poisonous look, then stomped off.

Ashton slowly stepped toward the bed.

He leaned over the old man’s face.

“They’re gone. Every last one of them. Not a single person in this room gave a damn about you. They only showed up to collect. The moment they realized they weren’t getting what they came for, they fled. Probably whining about bad luck all the way to the car p>

Edouard’s eyelids struggled to open.

His pupils locked on Ashton, wide and blazing with fury.

“You… you changed my… my will…” The words scraped out like broken glass.

His chest rose in short, jagged bursts.

Ashton looked down at him like the man was already a ghost.

“You spent your life betting on the wrong people. You chose Gwendolyn over my mother. You helped push her toward her death, thinking I’d never find out. You were wrong. You picked Declan over me, shipped me overseas, and hoped I’d get myself killed. Wrong again. You hid your diagnosis and made backroom deals with a lawyer you thought was on your side. That was your last mistake p>

He turned and reached for my hand.