The reading of the will – III

Brandon remained seated. He did not move an inch, nor did he think of doing that. He was not going to be the first one to break under their stare. 

"What do you think we should do Brandon?" Victoria asked, casually inspecting her nails as she did. 

As if his opinion would matter. "I think we should go ahead with the first option." 

Annabel scoffed and Victoria nodded. "Yes, you would think so."  She scoffed, "even after two degrees, you think wrong." 

Brandon hesitated for a moment. What he was about to say could turn everything against him, more than it already was but he would rather not be in the middle of it and be dismissed as soon as possible. 

"We cannot challenge the will and unless we plan to do it, we only have two options and the former has more chance of anyone getting it than the second one." Where only he would be the possible heir. 

Damn, Grandpa. You could have at least told me mentally prepare myself for this. You pushed me into a battle I cannot win.

"You should not have a problem with any of the options because you get a chance with either of them." Annabel said the accusation was heavily in her tone. "It is us and our children that have to suffer, no? Because the prince Brandon is going to end up becoming CEO one way or the other since you have twice as much of a chance as our children will do." 

That is because your children did not bother to get an education nor did they think of getting ahead in their career. No, they just banked on the fact that they would be given something from the company. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but did he say them out loud? No. 

He was not going to. 

"You must back out." Victoria concluded. 

"Back out?" 

"Yes." She finalized. "You have both the options in your favor very conveniently. It would make sense that if you back out, father must have a provision to give it to the rest of the children equally. Why don't you call Philip now and let him know that you are backing out?" 

"He just left—" 

"Call him," Annabel ordered, "now!" 

He barely kept the flinch in from when Annabel raised her voice. Bran reached into his pocket of the jacket. He was wearing and pulled out his phone to dial the number of the lawyer. Three rings later, the call was picked up.

"Brandon." Phlip Acknowledged. "By any chance, has this call been made to tell me you are stepping out?" 

"Yes, I am." He replied. 

Victoria pointed to the phone and mouthed, 'speaker'. 

Brandon turned it on obediently.

"I see, and I understand why all of a sudden you feel like it. Why don't you put me on speaker, so I can say it just once and for all?" 

"Go ahead." it was already on speaker.

"The thing is, if neither of the two conditions are moved forward with, none of you will be inheriting anything. A board of members will come in, including of all the major investors and if not, the company will be sold to another." 

"There is no third option, other than what is provided to you. Mrs. Annabel and Mrs Victoria, choose what is given to you, otherwise, I will be doing it for you." 

"A week." Philip reminded them. "A week is all you have to make a decision only out of the two options given to you." He hung up. 

Brandon lowered his phone and decided that his silence would be enough anyway.

"A week." Victoria muttered before she stood up and walked out of the house. "Annabel, come along." 

Thankfully, without a word, aunt Annabel and her son walked out of the house. Eugene, who was standing by the door, closed it in a hurry and then locked it from inside as well. 

Brandon almost chuckled. 

"Now what?" Eugene asked. "They are not going to let everything come to you. You're going to have to go somewhere else for a job." 

"That would be much better." He confessed. Maybe, if it came to that, then three years away from the same, same place he had lived, and his entire life would actually do good to him. 

Hopefully.