letter

The office was in complete chaos. Erwin and Ruth had gone particularly mad, unleashing their magic without restraint, shaking the entire room.

Ethan was demanding an explanation from the lawyer, while James had gone so far as to grab him by the neck.

Holgram held back Uncle Erwin, who was practically lunging at Viviana.

Jan was restraining Uncle Ethan's wife, who seemed especially hysterical.

Adela, on the other hand, was overwhelmed with joy, jumping around in excitement and into the arms of her boyfriend, who looked as though he had just won the lottery too.

Diego and Antonio tried in vain to calm their parents.

Mary was sobbing uncontrollably in her chair, while Stefany comforted her, looking around in confusion at the chaos.

Susan stood frozen like a statue next to Charly, who simply observed everything with his mouth agape.

Marcus and Daniel cried inconsolably as they witnessed the violence, panic, and disorder around them. They wept for their mother, but she didn't seem to care at all.

Carlos and Jennifer tried to console them, but it seemed impossible.

Meanwhile, Ben remained still in his place. He felt disappointed that his grandfather hadn't left him anything, yet at the same time, he took great pleasure in watching everyone around him in a frenzy, ready to tear each other apart.

The only person in the room who seemed completely unfazed by their grandfather's last will was Viviana herself.

She looked at everyone with a cold and arrogant gaze—the arrogance of someone who knew she now had enough money to buy a better future for her family, while also having the power to ruin the rest of them.

"Please, calm down!" the lawyer pleaded as he tried to pry James's hands from his neck. "The will hasn't been fully read yet!"

His words seemed to work, as everyone fell silent for a moment.

Realizing this was his chance to save himself, the lawyer continued.

"The will is not finished yet. There are still a few more lines."

Everyone seemed to regain a glimmer of hope and quieted down, watching the lawyer expectantly.

"Of course, this comes with conditions," the lawyer said. "Viviana will continue providing a monthly allowance to each of her siblings, and the properties they currently live in will remain theirs, as long as they do not tarnish the family name."

Though this calmed the crowd slightly, dissatisfaction still lingered. They had come to this house dreaming of wealth and glory, only to be left with scraps.

"Furthermore," the lawyer added, "to my dear grandson Benjamin Clay, I leave my most cherished possession... the house where I was born and raised. It's still as sturdy as ever, my boy."

Everyone in the room turned to stare at Ben. Even Viviana looked genuinely surprised this time.

The lawyer approached Ben and handed him a tightly sealed envelope.

"He also left this for you."

Ben looked at the letter.

To Ben.

His grandfather's handwriting was unmistakable. Though he wanted to open the letter immediately, the intense stares from everyone around him made him hesitate.

The lawyer concluded the reading of the will and hurriedly left the room.

Uncle Erwin immediately called his own lawyer for advice.

Everyone else busied themselves, once again ignoring Ben.

While they had been surprised to learn he had inherited something, upon realizing it was just the old, dilapidated house no one wanted, they quickly dismissed him again.

The house was even smaller than the one where Viviana, Ben, and their family currently lived.

It was a relic their grandfather had kept—a memory from a more difficult time.

Their grandfather had been an ordinary man from an average family. Thanks to his magical talent and sound business decisions, he had risen to prominence.

The house didn't even hold sentimental value, as none of his children had been raised in it.

Ben couldn't understand why his grandfather had left him that property, but he smiled at the thought that his grandfather had at least remembered him—more so than some of his own children.

Dinner that evening was more peaceful than expected, but only because Erwin and Ethan had left earlier that afternoon.

The meal was shared solely between Ben's family and Viviana's.

Upon closer observation, the two families had some similarities.

Both had three children, and one of their daughters had brought a boyfriend to the reading.

Viviana's family consisted of two boys and a girl, while James's family had two girls and a boy.

During dinner, Mary appeared deeply affected, her spirits low, while James seemed quite cheerful, chatting enthusiastically with his older sister.

He seemed to have accepted reality and was now trying to get into Viviana's good graces.

Dinner ended, but James continued trailing behind his sister. Ben, however, simply wanted to leave this place, which no longer belonged to his grandfather but to his aunt.

In his room, he opened the letter and began to read.

"Hello, my friend."

Ben unconsciously smiled, imagining his grandfather's voice saying those familiar words.

"You're probably thinking I forgot about you and only left you a rundown house in a village far from the cities."

Ben felt a growing excitement as he read.

"The truth is, I'm doing you a favor by not giving you my entire fortune."

Ben frowned.

"In fact, even a small part of it would be dangerous for you."

Ben was intrigued and continued reading.

"Wealth can only be kept if you are strong enough to hold onto it. You have no idea how many people thought they were strong enough to take what was mine. I'm even afraid of what my own children might try to do to you if I left you everything I have."

Ben wanted to disagree, feeling he was already quite strong. But setting his emotions aside, he knew his grandfather was right.

"But don't worry, my friend," the letter continued. Ben couldn't stop reading.

"While my children fight and tear each other apart over my fortune, I've left you my most precious treasure."

"Have you ever heard the saying, 'Don't give a man a fish; teach him how to fish, and he'll have food for life'?"

"Well, I'm going to teach you how to fish!"