Chapter 103: Chapter 103

Jackson stood pensive with his eyes on the ground as the casket lowered to the ground, his eyes weren’t clouded like the dark clouds above but his mood felt just as grey. The silent murmurs, the sad faces that looked like they were staring at him, questioning him or worse still judging him. He looked over at Ethan and those red eyes weren’t deceiving anybody, father wasn’t Ethan favorite person. Father wasn’t his favourite person either, but he was in fact was one of his father’s favorite people and yet there was nothing he could do for him at that moment, not while he was being led six feet under. Jackson wasn’t sure how he felt, he wasn’t exactly broken or sad but he knew there was war ahead and when he glanced at Ethan again, they shared a look that mirrored his thoughts exactly.

“You okay?” Emily slid up to him while everyone exchanged pleasantries or condolences, he wasn’t exactly familiar with what was going on because he had managed to escape everyone who looked like they wanted to talk to him, or maybe judge him for who his heart decided to fall in love with. But he needed Emily, she was the only one he needed by his side.

“I guess” he responded studying her looks, he could notice the slight bump growing as well as the glances people threw at her but she didn’t seem to be bothered, she stared deeply into his eyes like she was searching for into his soul sensing that he was holding back, holding back a lot of emotions.

“I just – I couldn’t say goodbye” he added and Emily moved closer, taking his hand in hers.

“Mr. Hatton doesn’t seem like the type to hold a grudge” Emily chuckled and Jackson followed suit understanding her joke and soon he burst out laughing.

“Then I’m in trouble” he said “Father is going to haunt me then”

“Then I won’t let anything happen to you” she gave a small smile that reached her eyes even though she was barely smiling.

“So what’s next now?” Emily asked after a few seconds of comfortable silence, she saw him sigh deeply before looking at her, then he shrugged unwilling to think about it.

“But it’s going to be hell, our shares are currently skyrocketing because the media is trying to paint a feud between me and Ethan over properties and company shares and I fear reality might not be so far from that”

“Why’s that?”

“Because if Ethan doesn’t get everythinh, all hell is going to let loose and in as much as I want it, it’s not worth fighting Ethan over”

“But I am worth that?” she gave him a look and he pulled her closer, planting a kiss on her forehead inviting stares and murmurs including Ethan’s death stare but Jackson looked right back at him and he got the feeling that there was war ahead.

Just then, he saw his father’s lawyer, Mr. Stanwill approach him. Sharp looking in a crisp black suit and a white file tucked under his armpits, his graying hair was combed backwards and he always seemed to have that permanent scowl on his face like his mood was always foul, but Jackson had seen him laugh a few times with his father so he had learned to debunk that theory.

“Your father’s will reading will take place at the family house just right after the funeral as per your father’s request” Mr. Stanwill announced to him and Jackson and Emily shared a look.

“We might as well leave now” Jackson said now and Emily tried to interject.

“I’ll just go see a movie –”

“Your presence is required there too” Mr. Stanwill said to Emily this time and she shot him an unbelievable look.

“Me?”

“You’re a Hatton now, aren’t you? Hatton Tech was a success, thanks to you” he said, a small smile forming on his face before he walked away leaving Emily dumbfounded and with a pounding heart.

Later on, an hour later they were all seated in the living room of the Hatton family house. Ethan Hatton standing at the far end and nursing a glass of scotch. Mrs. Hatton seated on her own, a sad look on her carefully primed face, her still tied neatly in a bun without a single hair out of place like she always looked. Then there was Jackson attached to Emily by the hip and unwilling to pull away from her ignoring the angry and jealous looks Ethan threw at them. Then there was Mr. Stanwill seated comfortably on a single chair with his white file placed delicately in between his fingers and he stared up at them with his eyes lasting a few seconds on each person then he cleared his throat.

“Good day everyone” he said clearly then bringing the file up to eye level. “I’ll skip the formalities and just go straight to the point” then he fixed his eyes on Mrs. Hatton clear eyes as she looked back at him

“To my dear wife, Mrs. Cornelia Hatton, I leave her in charge of all the charity organizations as she is well suited and capable of handling them, 3 percent shares of all Hatton enterprise and a monthly allowance of two hundred thousand dollars”

Then this time he faced Emily “To Mrs. Emily Hatton, the latest addition to the Hatton family and who has managed to capture the hearts of both of my sons, I leave you 1.5 percent shares of Hatton Tech and a monthly allowance of fifty thousand dollars monthly”

Mr. Stanwill sighed now as he looked at both brothers but only one of the looked back at him eagerly and that one brother was the brother who would get heartbroken the most.