Chapter 5. The Sole Heir

The morning sunlight began to stream through the slats of the window, making the room a little brighter. Tristan blinked, his body still weary from the previous night. The handsome man reached out his hand, expecting to find the warm body of the woman he had bought still lying beside him. But his hand landed only on the cold bedsheet.

Tristan instantly sat upright, his eyes sweeping the room. The bed was empty. The woman was gone.

“Damn, where did she go?”

Tristan frowned, thinking for a moment. The clock showed it was already seven in the morning. His breath quickened as he realized not only was the woman gone, but his shirt had vanished too. Immediately, he leapt out of bed, his eyes scanning wildly for any trace of where she might have gone. He strode quickly toward the small table in the corner of the room. His wallet lay there, but when he opened it, several bills were missing. A wicked smile played across his handsome face.

“She actually dared to run away from me,” Tristan muttered with a cold smirk, his expression darkening. “Tch! Stupid woman!”

Adrenaline surged through Tristan’s body. He quickly straightened his messy hair, then began to inspect the room carefully, making sure he wasn’t mistaken. But everything pointed to the same fact—the woman had escaped.

His routine was always the same: after “buying” a woman, Tristan would play with her until he got bored, then let her go. But this new woman had run off before he could even decide when to discard her.

“Damn woman, only I get to decide when you leave! You’re not allowed to run from me!” Tristan growled, seething with rage.

His face flushed with fury. Without a second thought, he snatched his phone and called his assistant. When the call connected, his voice was cold and menacing.

“Find that woman,” Tristan ordered flatly, no pleasantries. “She escaped last night. Search every corner of the city. I want her found immediately.”

“Excuse me, sir? Which woman do you mean?” his assistant asked from the other end.

“The woman who was with me last night, dammit! Do I really need to explain further?!”

“But sir, how do I find her?”

“Tch! Are you really asking me that? I pay you handsomely, you idiot!”

A tremor of panic came from the assistant. “Y-yes, sir. I’ll look for the woman you mean.”

Tristan ended the call, his sinister grin spreading. “You think you can get away from me that easily? Just wait until I catch you. You’ll regret it.”

Tristan felt his pride trampled by the woman who had seemed so weak and helpless just the night before. Now he’d been humiliated, and the only way to soothe himself was to get her back—no matter what. After all, he had bought her. No one else was allowed to take what belonged to him.

***

Tension filled the Redford household that morning. Brittany and Veronica bustled about, dressing in their finest clothes. Today, Carter’s lawyer—Pierre—was coming to read the will. Cordelia’s late father had left behind an inheritance they’d both been waiting for.

Brittany smiled warmly at her beloved daughter. “Darling, today is our day. Carter’s fortune will soon be ours.”

Veronica nodded, her eyes shining with anticipation. “Of course, Mom. Cordelia is just a weak little thing who knows nothing. She’s even ruined our family’s good name.”

Brittany snorted. “That foolish girl doesn’t deserve a single thing from this family.”

The doorbell rang. A servant quickly opened the door, and Pierre, Carter’s lawyer, entered carrying a thick folder. His face was calm but firm, befitting his profession.

“Good morning, Mrs. Brittany, Miss Veronica,” Pierre greeted with a polite bow. “Thank you for making time. I’m here to read the late Mr. Carter’s will.”

Brittany and Veronica stood, exchanging a look full of anticipation.

“Of course, Pierre. We’ve been expecting this,” Brittany replied with a friendly—though thoroughly fake—smile.

Pierre nodded briefly. “Before I begin, there’s one thing. I must request that Miss Cordelia be present.”

Brittany’s face changed instantly, her expression darkening. “Cordelia? Why does she need to be here? She… she doesn’t need to hear this.”

Pierre raised an eyebrow, staying calm. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but according to Mr. Carter’s instructions, all heirs must be present.”

With a heavy breath, Brittany relented. “Fine, I’ll have the servants call her.”

Soon after, Cordelia, still pale and weak, was brought out of her room. Her eyes were swollen from crying all night. The worn shirt she wore—taken from Tristan—only made her seem even more out of place.

As her gaze met Brittany’s and Veronica’s, she tried for a feeble smile, hoping they’d let her explain. But the look of disgust from her stepmother and stepsister made her fall quiet again.

Pierre managed a dignified smile. “Now that everyone is here, I’ll read Mr. Carter Redford’s will.”

All eyes were on Pierre, though Cordelia seemed detached, while Veronica and Brittany could barely contain their impatience.

Pierre took his time sorting through the documents. “As you all know, I’m here to read the will of the late Mr. Carter Redford. He left very clear instructions regarding the division of his assets.”

Brittany crossed her legs gracefully, masking her agitation behind a forced smile. Veronica, seated beside her mother, wore a sly smile, certain their father would choose them over weak, useless Cordelia.

“We’re ready to hear the good news, Pierre,” Brittany said in the smoothest voice she could muster.

Pierre nodded and began to read the documents calmly. “First, Brittany Redford will receive the Aspen, Colorado vacation home, along with a cash sum of five hundred thousand dollars.”

Brittany’s smile started to fade. She frowned a little, clearly surprised by how small the amount was. Her face betrayed her disappointment.

“That’s all?” Brittany asked, trying to sound composed.

Pierre ignored her question and continued, “To Veronica Redford, the late Mr. Carter has left his antique jewelry collection and an apartment in downtown New York.”

Veronica was stunned. While those gifts were valuable, she had hoped for more—such as control of the company or the bulk of the high-value assets. Her face turned blank, the smile she wore evaporating.

“We deserved more than this!” she muttered, glaring furiously at her mother.

Pierre carried on unruffled. “Now, we reach the main part of the will. The late Mr. Carter Redford has named a primary heir who will inherit the entire family estate, including the majority shares of Redford Corp, the primary Redford family properties, and all financial assets.”

Brittany and Veronica stared at Pierre with hungry, expectant eyes. They were sure the name about to be spoken would be theirs. But the name that came from Pierre’s lips shocked them to their core.

“All of Carter Redford’s estate shall go to Cordelia Redford.”

A long silence fell over the room. Brittany turned pale; Veronica gaped at Pierre in disbelief. Mother and daughter wore identical faces of seething, contained anger.

“This can’t be! Carter must have been mistaken! I’m his wife—how could he leave me so little?” Brittany protested, unable to accept the verdict.

“That’s right, I’m his daughter too—Cordelia isn’t his only child!” Veronica’s knuckles whitened as she gripped the arms of her chair.

Cordelia, who had remained silent, was shocked to hear her name as the sole heir. She had never imagined inheriting anything from her father. Meanwhile, Pierre continued with calm professionalism, even as the tension rose.

“Mr. Carter Redford left explicit instructions in this will,” Pierre said firmly. “Cordelia Redford is the sole heir to the entire Redford family fortune and company shares. This is final and legal.”

“No! You must be playing games with us!” Brittany, unable to control her rage any longer, jumped to her feet and pointed accusingly at Pierre. “Carter must’ve been tricked! He would never have left everything to that woman!” she shouted, her eyes blazing with hatred.

“Cordelia, tell us now! What did you say to Dad before he died?” Veronica demanded, standing, her narrowed eyes filled with fury at Cordelia. “You must have made Dad do this. This must all be your doing!”

“Mom, Veronica, I didn’t do anything,” Cordelia shook her head, trying to speak. “I… I know nothing about this. I never asked for any of this. I didn’t even know about the inheritance.”

“We’re the ones who should have gotten everything!” Brittany spat, glaring at Cordelia so hatefully it made her body tremble. “You’ve disgraced this family, and now you dare take everything from us? After what you’ve done?”

“Mom, please listen to me. I… I never asked for any of Dad’s riches.” Cordelia was shaking, her voice barely above a whisper. “And about disgracing the family, that’s—”

Slap!

A hard slap landed on Cordelia’s cheek.

“How dare you keep making excuses after all the evidence here?”

“M-Mom…” Cordelia whimpered, clutching her stinging cheek.

“You sold yourself, shamed the family name, and left Mom and me begging. Congratulations, Cordelia, I never expected you’d treat us as if we’re not family!” Veronica shouted in outrage.

“No, I never—” Cordelia’s throat closed with emotion; she wanted to explain that she’d never done what they accused her of, that she’d never meant to steal anything. But Brittany’s and Veronica’s voices drowned out every attempt she made to speak.

“That’s enough! Stop this nonsense!” Pierre cut in, his voice strong and commanding. “This will is legally binding. If there are any objections, you are welcome to contest them by legal means. But until then, everything documented here will be carried out immediately.”

Brittany and Veronica exchanged a look, their faces twisted with ever-deepening rage and hatred. Their minds began to spin, plotting ways to remove Cordelia from the inheritance—by any means necessary.

Once Pierre finished and left the room, Brittany and Veronica remained standing, frozen in anger. Cordelia sat quietly in a corner, her eyes brimming with tears, feeling utterly alone even while surrounded by her own family.

As Cordelia tried to stand up, Veronica strode over, her face icy and furious. She grabbed Cordelia’s jaw, making her wince in pain.

“You may have everything now, but don’t ever think you’ll get to enjoy it for long,” Veronica hissed with deep-seated hatred.