Family heritage

Four months ago...

The Tanarro family fixed their gaze on the newly arrived girl, the same disheveled motorcyclist who showed up unceremoniously at Kai's funeral.

She raised her hand to greet them informally; she could barely muster a "hello" that was quickly ignored by the attendees who turned their attention back to the lawyer. Aya Tanarro spoke up, interrupting the prolonged silence.

"Sir Hidalgo, could you explain to us what this person is doing here?" She furrowed her brow, demanding an answer from the lawyer whom she detested. "But respond, say something!"

"Well, Kai's last wish was for the entire family to be present..." He swallowed, unaccustomed to dealing with this harassing woman. He opened his briefcase and took out a folder, which he slowly opened, adjusted his glasses, and proceeded to read.

"My dear family, consumed by this incurable illness, I must inform you that I, Tanarro Kai, in full possession of my mental and physical faculties, of my own free will and responsibility, have decided to distribute my assets, wealth, and everything that belongs to me as the leader and head of the family in the following manner: I bequeath the Suite apartment of the Saint Marie Hotel in Tokyo to my aunt Aya and her adorable children. The rest of the properties, real estate, companies, and banks of the Tanarro group, I bequeath to my sole successor and the new head of the family: my only niece, Jina Sotomayor."

Yuselso opened his mouth; his cigarette slipped from his lips and fell onto the conference table. Yukio closed his eyes and brought his hands to his head; both of them had the same question in their minds: "Only niece?"

Mrs. Tanarro fainted, sliding from her chair, but none of her children helped her regain consciousness. They were possibly too shocked by such news or perhaps they believed she was acting, as with her, one could never know for sure what was true and what was false.

Jina and the lawyer helped her sit and catch her breath. Once she regained consciousness...

"What are you saying, you damned imbecile! How can she be his niece?" She shook the lawyer violently, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "That will is fake! I don't accept it! I don't accept it!"

Jina Sotomayor stood up, took the will in her hands. Everything was confusing, even for her, but when she remembered the man who had treated her with such generosity in the past, she felt much calmer.

"Now I understand everything," she murmured to herself. "All this time, I thought it was just a whim of my mother, but now everything is clear to me..."

Yukio helped his mother stand up; the lawyer's hair was already disheveled from being shaken so much while she hysterically shouted over and over again that it couldn't be possible. Her screams were so loud that the assistant and the secretaries looked toward the glass door, observing what was happening.

A single glance from Tanarro Yukio was enough for the group to return to their tasks and try not to look toward the room where things seemed to be going poorly.

"The hotel suite apartment? Is that all?" she continued shouting. "It can't be..."

Jina sighed as she took a seat. Even she couldn't believe it. She had gone from being a nobody to inheriting an entire business empire in the blink of an eye. She wondered if it was all a dream, but Mrs. Tanarro's screams confirmed that it wasn't.

The lawyer found a way to free himself from Mrs. Tanarro's grip, took a few steps back, and resumed reading the will:

"I know my decision will cause some dissatisfaction among you, but I believe it is for the best, considering that the heir is my only niece, and therefore, the family's legacy continues in the hands of a direct descendant. I hope no difficulties arise. I have left precise instructions to ensure that Aunt Aya lacks nothing while she lives. As for Yukio and Yuselso, I believe they are old enough to fend for themselves..."

The lawyer handed a document to the woman, and Yukio and Yuselso peeked their heads over her shoulders, their eyes widening in astonishment. They looked at each other while the woman tore the document to pieces with her hands and cried hysterically.

"This!... Only this! It's a pittance. No one can live on this per month..."

"Madam," the lawyer interrupted, taking a breath, "in fact, that is the sum that was arranged for you every three months... until the day of your death or in the event that you decide to remarry. We will always ensure that you receive the same amount."

"Are you crazy?" the woman yelled angrily. "This isn't enough to pay for the gym, the club, or to go shopping!"

"Madam, you will have to adjust to that," the lawyer protested. "As for the will, it is legitimate. Mr. Tanarro left two registered copies in the notaries with his signature, fingerprint, and family seal. I will provide you with the details in case you wish to request a copy."

"Well, if everything is legal, then I request that this brat undergo a DNA test. I won't rest until it is proven that she carries the bloodline of my nephew Kai and my brother-in-law and those who came before him, the Tanarro family."

"If that's what you want, we have no objection, but it will be done in a location agreed upon by us," the lawyer responded, annoyed by the woman's request.

"Oh, really? So you can have time to tamper with the results and get away with it?" the enraged woman said. "Do you think I don't know that you're behind all of this? You took advantage of Kai's illness to brainwash him with the idea of a niece who doesn't exist!"

"Well, whether you like it or not, Jina Sotomayor has more of Tanarro in her than you and your children, madam!" he replied, flushed with anger. "And yes, the test will be done in a place where your dirty hands cannot manipulate or alter it."

"Enough!" Yuselso shouted, grabbing the lawyer by the collar. "Don't you dare speak to my mother like that!"

"Get your hands off me, spoiled brat! Don't touch me!" the lawyer retorted.

The argument grew more heated. Jina remained seated on the couch, intimidated by what she witnessed. It was clear that the family wouldn't accept her, and the idea of becoming a member of it again seemed distant. She wanted to scream, and so she did.

"Enough!" Her cry was so piercing that everyone fell silent. "I... I..." She stammered under the expectant gazes silently fixed on her. She looked at each one of them, and her eyes settled on the mature face of the lawyer. "I... I... I have something to say."

It was strange that the words didn't want to come out of her throat. Normally, she was an impulsive and rebellious young woman who never cared about gossip, but these unfamiliar people unsettled her, and the presence of the brown-haired man hiding his eyes behind black glasses made her uneasy.

"I... The truth is, maybe this may seem crazy," she hesitated. She wasn't even sure what she was about to confess, but she wanted it all to end. "But the truth is, I don't want anything that Kai has inherited for me."