CHAPTER 2

(Day of the will reading).

"Excuse me, what did you just say? Are you the daughter of whom?" Maximiliano jumped up with a rather astonished and unfriendly look on his face. He had never expected such a relationship because, as far as he knew, Fred Davison had no children.

"Gentlemen..." interjected Lenis in a stupor. She knew that George was analyzing Davis' reactions and body language, while she was still visually connected to Max, "I have to get the chat room online now. If you'll excuse me..."

Lenis did her job and within seconds, everyone in the room was able to see the image of Attorney Fitzgerald appear on the screen.

"Good afternoon. I hope I can be heard well."

"Loud and clear," reported Lenis, smiling politically. "Excuse me," she said before turning away.

After she left the meeting room, the lawyer spoke again from England.

"Thank you very much for being all present..."

"Sir, please, if I may..." interrupted Carla, evidently embarrassed and nervous. "You are Mr. Davison's... Mr. Davison's lawyer, aren't you?"

"Miss Carla, I'm very sorry about your father." Max looked at her. She gritted her teeth, "I'm so glad to see you here. Have you come with your lawyer?"

"You sent this folder to my own house. For what purpose?" She pointed to it.

"Why don't you leave the family arguments for later and let's get this circus over with?" said Maximiliano.

"Gentlemen," George interjected. He looked at Carla, "Miss... We are all very confused. I would appreciate it, counselor, if you could put us in context before the reading of the will of a man with whom my client has had no contact in years."

"One of the bases for this connection is precisely that, Mr. Miller. I fully understand the confusion," the deceased's legal representative said. "Very well, I will proceed to explain what is going on."

Everyone present in that meeting room was able to see Mr. Fiztgerald arrange some documents in front of him before speaking.

"As Mr. Davison's attorney, I have been in charge of the entire handling of his legal history, therefore, I am the probate agent and as such, I must clarify my knowledge of who should or not be present at this reading of the assignment. Only the heirs should be in attendance, however, I'm making an exception in light of what I will read below."

Everyone respected the permission to speak and pledged to remain silent.

Fitzgerald gave the statutory introduction, explaining more formally what he would read. He then began.

"I, Fred Davison, in compromise with the wishes of my late wife, leave in charge of third parties all my possessions, the only ones I have been able to keep after the economic inconveniences I have gone through in the last five years. In view of my late wife's family deprivation, and in addition to my possessions, all our shared assets acquired in the marriage, I am allowed to decide the future of her assets, as the absolute owner of them. The stables located in Manchester, together with the surrounding premises, plus the land, have been sold and the proceeds have been divided, at the time of the reading of this document, in equal shares, to each local and active partner of Davison & Associates. All of these proceeds comprise 10% of the value of the stock of the firm.

"I assign 20% of the stock market value of the corporation to my daughter Carla Davison," continued the probate agent. She felt her breathing stop. "The land outside London, the only one I have left: the old Brick Castle, which I acquired through the purchase of a family estate, together with its acreage and the old museum, constitute 70% of the shares of my company. This land, despite being desired by more than ten buyers throughout my career as a businessman, has belonged to no one but my late wife and myself.

"Given my early physical disappearance and in light of the impossibility of an autonomous succession, I leave these lands in charge of the businessman Maximiliano Bastidas."

The aforementioned began to distrust these words from the moment Mr. Fitzgerald mentioned that establishment. Max knew these lands very well. He lived very close to them at the end of his business career.

Ever since he set foot on that beautiful and interesting soil, he felt an automatic love for every acre, every building, longing to own it all someday and trying to buy it every chance he could.

Davison, the late Davison, being one of his internship and then labor bosses in that same career term, always denied Maximiliano, not only the purchase of the land, but the possibility of his longing, swearing to him that would never own it, that he was not worthy of it. It seemed now extremely strange to the CEO, very strange in that the man left them as a gift and even worse when they now constituted the greatest value of the shares. He was sure that this was hiding a trap, a very bad one, he could not believe that a man like Fred would soften his heart overnight and give most of his possessions to his business enemy. It did not make sense to him.

He shot a glance at George, who returned the gesture. Max knew that his lawyer was thinking the same thing he was.

He then scrutinized Carla. She looked startled. She seemed quite surprised and focused on the screen. Also looked kind of lost.

"If any of the foreign associates wish to resign from each assignment, they must do it under the laws governing the corporation's board of directors, as the shares themselves make life under its bylaws. Being part of said committee from now on, they should consult with my attorney to instruct them on what to do in case they wish to dispose of the assets. However, I lose nothing at this time by expressing my greatest joy to you, in the hope that you will make the best decision that benefits all and harms no one."

Mr. Fitzgerald stopped reading and looked toward his chamber, that is, toward the people who listened to him attentively.

"Miss Carla, Mr. Bastidas, welcome to the board of directors of Davison & Associates."

Maximiliano shook his head and smiled incredulously, almost sticking his tongue between his molars, unable to believe it all.

He spoke with his lawyer secretly and in a low voice. The litigator informed him that he gets the lion's share of shares that do not currently have a high monetary value. In fact, in his previous investigation, he was able to learn that these lands (the same ones inherited and the same ones that his client had wanted for years) are in bad condition, the main building almost abandoned, including the museum. These data were the ones that allowed Miller, in his rapid secrecy in front of Carla and the screen, to recommend to his client not to argue about the inheritance. On the contrary, he preferred to buy Carla's shares and thus own 90% of the company. It might take longer to buy the remaining 10%, but he did not think it was impossible. There was the opportunity to fulfill the dream Maximiliano had many years ago: to set up an exclusive hotel in that part of old Great Britain. To be able to expand (and in what way) would be great news among so many calamities experienced that year.

"Very well, counselor," Miller spoke. "Let's talk about the fine print in this will then."

Fitzgerald smiled with closed lips and stared into the camera.

"Do you not wish to sell the shares?"

"No," Max replied. "I'm offering to buy Miss Davison's percentage." He looked at her. She wasn't expecting any of that. "If she is willing to negotiate, of course."

"I... Uh..." Carla was still very confused.

"The board of directors of Davison & Associates was created by Fred's marital union with his late wife..."

"Carla's mother, I suppose," Max interrupted in an arrogant voice.

"No, Mr. Bastidas," she clarified. "My mother was not that lady," she said waking up from her lethargy.

Maximiliano narrowed his eyes and looked at her again with suspicion.

"Indeed," Fiztgerald spoke again, "Mr. Fred's wife was the majority shareholder of this company, that mean, the former owner of the land that you inherit today, Mr. Bastidas. The people who still work there are part of a foundation created by her, which has achieved a labor immobility that would be affected by the sale of the shares. However, there are derogations in our law that would allow you to renounce the inheritance, as long as one year has passed since the reading of this document."

"Of course yes," Max whispered to himself ironically.

"And if you work in conjunction with the foundation, which is owned by Miss Carla Davison, since the corporate interpretation of the 20% of the inherited shares."

"Rigth, but I don't want to sell anything, I want to buy. In this case, in view what you're explaining, to buy the foundation. If the land is disused, I will be able to change that."

"Excellent. I imagine you would like to reopen the museum or perhaps remodel the place?"

"That's right."

"Very well. In order of that, you must fulfill your role as chairman of the business committee for a period of one year. It should be noted that the chairmen of our boards cannot be single. I know that's your marital status..."

"Excuse me?" Max jumped in, abruptly interrupting him.

George looked at the screen, attentive. Carla, in spite of her stupor, did not lose detail of the words shared between her boss and the lawyer in England.

"To perform the role of the company Davison & Associates you must be married, Mr. Bastidas. If you want to modify something of what inherited this day, you must serve the presidency for one year, and be married for it. It is a clause aimed at the largest shareholder." Fiztgerald looked away from Bastidas and toward Carla. "The marital status of the president of the foundation must also be "married", as long as wishes to exercise that role. For any modification, as in this case, a sale of shares, the owner of museum must also serve for one year, Ms. Davison." The lawyer looked at both of them. "You will receive in your corporate inboxes every bylaw and article of the laws of the board of directors. As Mr. Davison's lawyer, being an expert in what is functional or not for the company, I can recommend a joint marriage, so you can freely exercise the presidential role and then make the respective sales, purchases and corresponding modifications, after the election of a new president, of course"

"What did you just say?" It was Carla's faint voice that was heard in the room.

Max was already laughing at the madness that the English litigator had thrown on the table.

George, on the other hand, didn't even smile. He understood perfectly the famous small letters displayed there.

"Miss Carla, I hope you will be able to travel to our lands as soon as possible."

This was the first time that Carla understood that everything was serious, not a bad joke. Emphasizing that she would not do it, that would not marry anyone without her consent, she got up and began to walk from one side to the other.

"Carla..."

George placed a hand on his client and friend's forearm to silence him, shaking his head, very seriously, indicating with that to him not to say anything.

"The reading of the will is over," announced Fiztgerald, cold as ice. "I recommend to find yourself a good lawyer, Miss Davison, and tell him that if he needs to clear up any doubts, he should look for me. I hope to see you soon. You too, Mr. Bastidas."

The screen went black.