CHAPTER ONE: THE WILL READING

EMMA POV

"You're joking."

The lawyer slid another document across the table and I stared at it without touching it.

My hands gripping the armrests instead because if I let go I might actually throw something at him.

"Ms. Ashford, your father's will is explicit. You and your stepbrother must live together for the holiday season and jointly manage Ashford Enterprises for one year, or the entire estate goes to charity..."

The door opened behind me cutting my lawyer off.

"Adrian, thank you for coming." The lawyer stood and extended his hand across the desk.

I turned in my seat and watched Adrian walk in wearing a black suit that fit him perfectly, his dark hair styled back, his face completely unreadable as he moved past me without a glance and took the seat on the opposite side of the table.

"Let's make this quick because I have a meeting in an hour," Adrian said, and his tone made it clear he had better places to be than sitting in this office with me.

"As I just explained to Ms. Ashford, your father's will requires you both to live at the Swiss estate for the Christmas season and co-manage the company for one year," the lawyer repeated, and I could hear the strain in his voice now like he knew this wasn't going to go well.

Adrian leaned back in his chair and his fingers drummed once against the armrest before going still. "Define live together."

"Same residence, same household, making joint decisions regarding the company's direction and maintaining a united front in all business dealings," the lawyer said, reading from the document in front of him.

I couldn't stop the laugh that came out of my mouth. "This is insane and you know it."

"Victor knew exactly what he was doing," Adrian said without looking at me, his eyes fixed on the lawyer instead.

"Another manipulation from the grave because he couldn't control us while he was alive."

"Your father believed this arrangement would benefit both of you and strengthen the company's future," the lawyer tried, but even he didn't sound convinced.

"His beliefs died with him and I'm not interested in playing happy family with a stranger," I said, grabbing my purse and standing up because I was done with this conversation and done with being told what to do by a dead man who'd never cared what I wanted when he was alive.

"Then you forfeit everything, Ms. Ashford. The inheritance, your position in the company, all of it goes to charity and you both walk away with nothing."

Adrian was watching me now and something in his expression made my skin prickle with irritation.

"Playing dress-up as a businesswoman finally caught up with you, didn't it?" Adrian said with a scoff.

Heat rushed through my chest and up my neck. "What did you just say to me?"

"You've been riding our father's coattails your entire career, showing up to board meetings you don't understand and rubber-stamping decisions other people make for you," Adrian said, and his tone was so casual about it. "I've seen your file and it's not impressive."

I stepped closer to the table and placed my hands on the surface.

"You want to talk about files? Your playboy reputation is splashed across every tabloid in the country and the PR team has buried more scandals for you than I can count."

"At least I built something real instead of showing up to charity galas and calling it work," he fired back, standing now so we were almost eye to eye across the table.

"Built something?" I slammed my hand down hard enough to make the lawyer flinch. "You inherited your position just like I did so don't stand there acting like you're some self-made success story."

"I am better than you and we both know it," Adrian said, moving around the table until we were face to face with barely three feet between us. "I've run divisions, closed billion-dollar deals, turned failing acquisitions into profit centers while you were busy picking out dresses for the next fundraiser."

The lawyer cleared his throat nervously. "Perhaps we should all take a moment to..."

"Stay out of this," Adrian and I said at the same time, our voices overlapping.

I moved closer and refused to back down even though he was taller and broader and clearly used to intimidating people in boardrooms. "You don't know anything about me or what I've done for this company."

"I know you're spoiled and entitled and playing CEO because daddy felt guilty for ignoring you," Adrian said.

"And you're what exactly? The golden son?" I threw back at him, feeling my control slipping away. "He kept you hidden like a dirty secret your entire life and that's how much he actually valued you."

I saw the pain in his eye before it disappeared behind that cold mask again.

"At least I wasn't his do-over project," Adrian said quietly, but those words made me gasp. "His attempt to build the perfect heir after I disappointed him by existing."

We stood there breathing hard and staring at each other while the lawyer shuffled papers nervously behind his desk.

"The estate is ready and you have two days to arrive," the lawyer said into the tense silence. "I suggest you both consider what refusing would actually cost you before making any final decisions."

Adrian grabbed his phone off the table. "Two days trapped in a house with her? No amount of money is worth that kind of torture."

"The feeling is mutual," I said, heading for the door because I needed to get out of this room before I said something I couldn't take back.

"But I'll be there because I'm not letting you take what's rightfully mine."

"Yours?" Adrian followed me into the hallway and his footsteps echoed behind me. "You mean what daddy handed you on a silver platter because you asked nicely?"

I spun around to face him. "Better than being tossed scraps like an afterthought."

His jaw clenched and for one second I thought he might actually lose that perfect control of his.

"Swiss estate, two days," Adrian said, brushing past me toward the elevator. "Try not to bring your entire wardrobe because space is limited."

"Try not to bring your entire contact list," I called after him. "Oh wait, they're already published in the tabloids anyway."

The elevator doors closed on his furious expression and I stood there in the empty hallway feeling my heart beat increase and I hope my BP doesn't get worse.

My phone buzzed with a text from the lawyer's office about travel arrangements and I deleted it without reading the whole thing because I already knew what it would say.

Two days and then I'd be stuck in a house with Adrian Ashford for an entire Christmas season.

More like forced to pretend we could work together when we couldn't even stand in the same room without wanting to kill each other.

This was going to be an absolute disaster.