That wasn’t us.And it would never be.
“Today marks a new chapter for Nightly Developments," Archer went on.“From this office, we’ll be ushering in a new era of development projects, but our focus will always remain on preserving the fabric of existing communities and transforming underutilized spaces into thriving communities that benefiteveryone.”
Archer waxed poetic about our mission for a few moments and then segued into the good news with the Gideon Hotel project.After thunderous applause, he wrapped the speech.I did my part by waving at the crowd and smiling.My practiced public smile morphed into a genuine one when my gaze landed on the Fairchild brothers near the middle of the room.Axel, Damian and Trace nodded, winked, and gave us their thumbs up.If anyone in this crowd understood our mission, it was those poor-Kentucky-boys-turned-billionaires we counted as some of our only true friends here on Wall Street.
As Archer and I stepped down from the stage, my assistant Marina flagged me down.She was a Type A, no-nonsense assistant who kept on top of her shit and kept me on top of mine.The look on her face told me this was serious.
“Nash, I need you and Archer to come with me.”
“Now?”
“It’s important.”She tipped her head toward the hallway.I elbowed Archer just as he was getting into a conversation with someone at our side.
“Hey.We need to step out with Marina for a second.”When I saw the question marks gathering on Archer’s face, I added, “Urgent matter.I don’t know any details, but she needs us for a minute.”
Archer deflated and nodded.He excused himself from the councilman he’d been chatting with, and we wove our way out of the party behind Marina.
Once we hit the open hallway, where the air was much fresher and the sounds of conversation were fading away, I finally asked “What’s this about?”
“There’s a lawyer here to see you.”Her heels clicked against the tile floor as she led us to the other end of the hall, near Archer’s and my offices.“Do you know a Mr.Pendleton?”
“No.”A sudden visit from a lawyer didn’t seem like a positive twist in the day’s events.“What the hell does he need from us?”
“It’s a family matter,” she said, adjusting her wire rim glasses.“That’s all he would tell me.He said the rest is confidential.”
Archer and I shared a look over her head as we approached the private conference room tucked between our offices.Our only family, our mother, was currently in Ohio, likely tending her oversized garden, which occupied most of her waking life.Marina gestured to the door.“I told him to wait in here.He was insistent I bring you to speak to him immediately.”
“Should have just sent him straight to the party,” Archer remarked wryly.
Marina smirked.“I don’t know what’s going on, but good luck in there.”
Archer’s face showed the same confusion I felt as I reached for the door handle.I pushed it open, striding confidently into the conference room.We found an older man with graying hair sitting at the table waiting for us.
“Mr.Pendleton?”I said as he rose and offered his hand.
“Yes.Good afternoon, Mr.Nightingale.”He shook my hand, then turned to my brother.“Mr.Nightingale.”
“My assistant said you needed to speak with us immediately.”I took a seat across the table from him, Archer sitting at my side.“I’ll be honest, I have no idea who you are or why you needed to pull us from our event.”
Mr.Pendleton grimaced.“I do apologize for that.This can be quick.But there’s an urgent matter at hand that we need to discuss.”He popped open the locks on a leather briefcase sitting on the table and then handed us each a business card.“I’m with Lexington & Caldwell Law.I’m here regarding the estate of your paternal grandfather.”
I blinked a few times until the wordpaternalfinally sunk in.
“We don’t know our paternal grandfather,” I said in a clipped tone.
“I’m aware.He passed away six months ago, and you’ve both been named beneficiaries in his will.”
Mr.Pendleton’s words hit me like a hammer.I could feel Archer turn to stone beside me.
“I’m sorry.I—” My hands curled to fists beneath the table as I struggled to process what I was hearing.“He knew about us?”
“It would seem that he found out toward the end of his life.”Mr.Pendleton cleared his throat as he laid some papers out, then peered at us over the top of his glasses.“I’m sorry I can’t offer more specific details.I’m sure this comes as a surprise.We had some difficulty locating you, hence the delay.”
My mind worked a thousand miles a minute.Archer and I had grown up without our father.Abandoned.Rejected.Forgotten.That’s what we felt, at least.Sure, we’d had the most amazing mother on the face of the planet.But no amount of explanation can make a kid understand why his father wants nothing to do with him.
“So we’re beneficiaries of…what?”Archer finally said, his voice gritty.
“The estate is valued at approximately fourteen billion dollars,” Mr.Pendleton said coolly.I had to swallow my shock.“But there are some conditions attached to the inheritance.”
