I stare into the fire. “We have three months until we turn thirty. So, it has to be resolved before then.”
Ben readjusts his posture. “You really think the executor won’t budge?”
“I know he won’t.” I know this because I’ve already tried.
The clause. It’s the thing that’s been keeping me awake at night since I learned about it.
My great-grandfather built the business that made our family rich. But he had two sons and one fortune. He watched other families tear themselves apart through divided inheritance, competing heirs, and fractured legacies.
So he wrote a clause, and that has affected every generation’s inheritance since.
Both of his sons had to formally commit to the same woman and raise their children as one family unit.
It worked.
The next generation consolidated. One man was technically our grandfather; the other, our great-uncle. But we never made the distinction. They were both grandfathers.
Our father was an only child, so the clause didn’t apply to him.
But it stayed in the contract. And when our father died last year, the clause activated.
For us.
Ben straightens in his chair. “Explain it to me again. Because I still don’t understand how it’s legal.”
I glance at Tania. She’s still holding her book, but she’s not reading. She’s listening.
“Tania.” I look at her, waiting for her to make eye contact.
She meets my gaze.
“This doesn’t leave this room.” I tilt my head and raise a brow. “Understand?”
She sets the book down, folding her hands on top of it. Her spine straightens. “Okay.”
My eyes narrow. “I’m serious.”
“So am I.” I can hear she means it. “You’re like family. Your secrets are safe with me.”
I hold her gaze for another second. Then nod.
I turn from the fire. “It’s an inheritance contract. Conditional transfer of assets. The estate holds the fortune until we meet the terms or petition for removal.”
Ben leans back. “Right.”
“What are the terms?” Tania asks.
“Exclusive, legally binding domestic commitment to one woman. We have to live together and prove we’re serious about it long-term. No one else on the side. And the executor has to sign off on it.”
Ben shakes his head. “For how long?”
“It’s supposed to be permanent. But after a year of proving we’re compliant, our lawyers think we might be able to challenge it. We can petition to have the clause nullified without losing everything. No guarantees. But it’s the only way out we’ve found.”
Callum stops at the windows and turns to face us. “Or we give up our inheritance.”
I meet his eyes. “We’re not doing that.”
He crosses his arms. “Why not? I don’t want to share a girlfriend with my brothers. I didn’t ask for this.”
