The Condition

Rueben had been waiting for his father to get to the point, but instead, they were all sitting down for a meal like some kind of picture-perfect family. It didn't make sense.

'Why are we here, Father? Just tell us already.'

The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words.

Sierra, meanwhile, had no such concerns. She was too busy marveling at the grand mansion, her eyes gleaming as she took in the luxurious surroundings.

It wasn't often that she was allowed to step foot on Warren Austin's estate. In fact, she and Emily weren't welcome here at all, unless explicitly invited. So tonight felt like a rare opportunity, one that she planned to use to her advantage.

As she ran her fingers over the fine silverware, admiring the way it glistened under the soft candlelight, a single thought occupied her mind.

'I have to get that old man to like me.' This mansion was everything. It was way bigger than the one she and Rueben lived in. More extravagant. More prestigious. And if she played her cards right, they could live here.

A smug smile played at the corners of her lips. 'Imagine the looks on my friends' faces if I moved into the Austin estate.'

Meanwhile, across the table, Emily's thoughts ran much darker.

Her gaze flickered at Khalia, hatred simmering beneath her perfectly crafted expression.

'I can't believe that bitch gets to live here.' It enraged her.

Everywhere she looked wealth, elegance, and power all of it surrounded Khalia.

'What gave her the right? She's just a bastard.'

Emily clenched her hands into fists beneath the table, her nails digging into her palm. No matter what, she refused to accept that Khalia deserved any of this.

The luxury. The favor. The legacy.

'It should have been mine. it should be all mine.'

But as the food was served, and the family settled in for what appeared to be a peaceful meal, one undeniable truth loomed over them all.

Whatever Warren Austin had planned. It was about to change everything.

After what felt like an eternity of small talk and forced pleasantries, the heavy clinking of silverware against fine China began to die down. The lavish dinner spread succulent meats, delicate pastries, and aromatic wines remained mostly untouched on Khalia's plate. Her appetite had long vanished, replaced by a gnawing sense of unease.

She wasn't the only one feeling it.

Rueben sat stiffly across from her, his fingers subtly tapping against the table, a silent indicator of his rising impatience. Sierra, on the other hand, was barely containing her excitement, still entranced by the luxury surrounding her. Emily looked smug, a predatory gleam in her eyes, while Warren remained composed, the master of the room as he finally placed his napkin onto the table with deliberate precision.

Silence followed. And then...

"I have arranged a marriage for Khalia with a very prestigious and wealthy heir in the city."

The words rang through the room like a thunderclap.

Khalia's entire body tensed as her breath caught in her throat. For a brief second, she thought she had misheard him. But the expectant looks in her grandfather's eyes told her otherwise.

"What?" She gasped, before bolting upright in her seat. "Grandpa, what?"

Her outburst echoed through the dining hall, but she didn't care. Her heart pounded in her chest, her pulse roaring in her ears.

Across the table, Emily's lips curled into a wicked smile as she leaned back in her chair, watching the scene unfold like a twisted spectator.

'Perfect. The sooner that bitch is out of here, the better for me. If she's gone, my status in this family will only rise.'

Khalia barely registered Emily's smugness she was too focused on Warren, searching his face for any sign of humor, any indication that this was just some cruel joke.

But it wasn't.

Warren met her gaze with a calm, measured expression, his voice gentle as he continued. "Khali, sweetheart, listen. You're eighteen now, and there's something you need to know. Your grandmother left a will that named you, her heir."

The revelation was like a second blow to the chest.

"What?" This time, the stunned voice did not belong to Khalia.

Sierra had shouted involuntarily, her shock written all over her face. As soon as Warren's icy gaze flickered toward her, she instantly recoiled, sinking into her seat as if she wished she could disappear.

Rueben, however, remained composed, though Khalia noticed the way his hands clenched under the table. His voice was calm, too calm when he finally spoke.

"Father." He said slowly. "How come I have never heard of this before?"

Despite his outward control, Khalia could feel the tension rolling off him.

'I thought Grandmother's money was part of the Austin family's assets.' Rueben thought to himself agitated.

Warren didn't even spare Rueben a glance. He remained focused on Khalia, his deep voice unwavering as he explained, "Sweetheart, the will stipulates that you will only be informed after graduating from high school. Your grandmother wanted to ensure you weren't burdened with this knowledge too early. Everything she built, her properties, her assets, she left them all to you."

Khalia's breath came in shallow gasps as her fingers instinctively reached for the delicate pendant around her neck, a piece of jewelry she had worn for as long as she could remember. It was a gift from Noelle, her grandmother, a token of their bond. And now, hearing her name spoken with such finality, a tidal wave of memories crashed over her.

Noelle Austin had been more than just a loving grandmother. She had been a force of nature.

A world-renowned jewelry designer, she built an empire that no one could rival. Her brand, NOELLE, was a name synonymous with elegance, wealth, and power. Some of her designs were considered priceless, artifacts of pure craftsmanship that no amount of money could replicate.

Even after her death, NOELLE continued to rise, expanding beyond expectations. It was no longer just a jewelry empire, it was a legacy worth trillions of dollars, dwarfing even the vast wealth of the Austin family itself.

But Noelle's legacy wasn't just in gold and diamonds. It was in Khalia.

Her only granddaughter had been her shadow, her apprentice, her greatest source of pride. Noelle had taught her everything, how to sketch designs, how to understand the beauty of raw gemstones, how to transform simple ideas into breathtaking masterpieces.

Khalia had idolized her, worked beside her, dreamed of following in her footsteps when she was a child. But never, not even in her wildest dreams, had she imagined that she would inherit everything. The weight of that realization settled over her like an anchor.

"But Grandpa." She choked out, struggling to process it all. "I don't understand. What does getting married have to do with becoming Grandma's heir?"

Her voice was small, filled with confusion and sadness.

Across the table, Emily's fingers trembled with barely contained rage.

'No. No, no, no, NO. How could this happen? How can she inherit everything?'

'It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair.'

All of Noelle Austin's wealth, her properties, her assets. It should all have been part of the Austin family. It should have been hers. But now, that bastard had taken everything.

Emily wanted to scream. To lash out. To destroy something. But she forced herself to remain composed, even as her nails dug so deeply into her palm that she nearly drew blood.

Meanwhile, Warren sighed, as if this part of the conversation pained him the most.

"Honey." He said gently. "Your grandmother knew how much you loved learning from her. She wanted you to follow your dreams and become a designer, just like her. But she also didn't want you to do it alone."

His voice remained steady as he continued. "That's why she added a stipulation. You can inherit everything, NOELLE, her properties, her assets. You even have the right to even rename the brand if you wish. But there's a condition."

Khalia swallowed hard, her fingers trembling against the pendant at her throat.

"What condition?"

"You must be married by the time you turn twenty-three." Warren said. "If you're not, you will only receive half of the inheritance. The rest will go to charities she had selected."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Khalia's mind reeled. 'Married? By twenty-three?'

It felt like a cage closing around her, like a life she had yet to even start had already been dictated for her.

The walls of the dining hall felt suffocating now, the grandeur and wealth surrounding her turning into chains rather than luxury.

And in the silence, one truth remained. No matter how much she resisted. No matter how much she fought. Her fate had already been sealed.