On the screen, his eyes shifted, landing precisely on me.
No, not on me. He was dead, and I hadn’t been sitting here when this video was filmed. Still, the effect was uncanny.
“Griffen. My oldest son. My heir. Your siblings are ungrateful little shits. Every one of them tried to walk out on me, but you’re the only one who did it. The only one who went out there and made something of himself without trading on the Sawyer name. The only one who hasn’t been a pain in my ass for the last fifteen years. Now, you have to pay for your freedom.”
Prentice shook his head, an almost rueful smile curving his lips. “Always thought I got one over on all the other Sawyers. Every ancestor going back to Alexander, and none of them could manage more than one or two offspring. It’s a miracle the Sawyer line lasted this long. I learned the hard way—you have to work at it. I went through a lot of wives, but I bred my own little army of Sawyers. Did what none of the rest could do.”
He laughed again, triumphant and smug. Prentice had always prided himself on his fecundity compared to all those only children that came before. His laugh morphed from triumphant back to rueful.
“The ancestors had it right. Children are more trouble than they’re worth. Should have stopped after the first. The rest of you are liars. Deceivers. You thought you’d get the best of me. You’re wrong.”
I took a second to process my father implying that I wasn’t a liar. Ironic, since he’d booted me out of town for planning to betray him. He must have forgotten that under the avalanche of my siblings’ more recent offenses.
I hadn’t. I hadn’t forgotten anything.
Another maniacal cackle of laughter dragged my attention back to the screen. “You weren’t fast enough. Should have killed me yesterday. You forgot all of it is mine. You’re nothing but employees, and I decide what happens to my legacy. If you thought you could get rid of me, you’re about to discover how wrong you were.”
On that threat, Prentice straightened, arranging the papers in front of him. When he looked back at the camera, he was all business, the taunts and triumph wiped away.
“Here’s how it’s going to work. The bulk of my assets are in a trust. That trust is reserved for the care and maintenance of Heartstone Manor. It will pay for upkeep and management well into the next century. Heartstone Manor is the foundation of the Sawyers. None of you ungrateful cretins appreciated it. That’s going to change. Harvey’s got a list of do’s and don’ts, but basically, they amount to this—don’t fuck it up, don’t turn it into a tourist attraction, and take care of your legacy.”
His eyes moved around the table, resting on each of his children. I had to remind myself that this was only a video, recorded weeks before he’d died. My siblings shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. Sterling tipped her flask to her lips, drinking until it was empty. I couldn’t blame her.
“Before you have a collective stroke, I did set aside a little something for my beloved children. An amount of money has been put in trust for each of you. Except for Griffen.
“Griffen is the executor of all the trusts. Excepting the money in the Heartstone trust, Griffen has control over all of your trust funds. If he wants to keep every penny for himself, he’s more than welcome to. I would. And who knows? He walked out on you just like he walked out on me, so maybe he will.”
Beside me, Hope sucked in a breath. I was right there with her. That was some serious revisionist history. I hadn’t walked anywhere. I’d been tossed out and told never to set foot in town again.
My father went on with his insanity, every word that came out of his mouth stacking the crazy a little higher.
“If each of you agrees to move back into Heartstone Manor and do what you’re told for Griffen the way you never did for me, Griffen will release your funds to you after five years. If he hasn’t spent it all on himself, that is.
“Ownership of Heartstone Manor as well as Sawyer Enterprises and associated business interests all pass to Griffen. The Inn, the brewery, the real estate, the investment portfolio… All of it is Griffen’s. He can live comfortably off that income, as I did. If that’s not enough he can loot your trusts and buy himself a fleet of yachts.”
His eyes came back to me. I stiffened, grateful when Hope’s hand closed over my arm.
“Griffen. Bet you’re feeling pretty smug right now. You walked away and now you have it all. Well, brace yourself and get ready for the stinger.”