Chapter 3: The will

*Three hours later*

“This is the place?” she asked Mark.

“Yeah, according to google maps it is.”

“It’s big… and shiny…” she observed out loud as both of them looked up at the skyscraper they found themselves at.

“We gotta be at the wrong place.”

Mark agreed with the sentiment but they had the right address and the building had the same name as the firm the letter was from, this was it.

“Lets just go inside and ask.”

The entered the building and found themselves inside a clean and luxurious reception hall akin to that of a 5 star hotel. Mark and Hellen felt incredibly out of place even when wearing their most formal attire. Hellen walked up to the counter where a petite formally dressed goth looking girl was sitting.

The woman looked up at the pair and smiled at them. “You must be the young miss who has an appointment with mister Hamid?”

Hellen was surprised by her accurate presumption. “Uhm, yes, indeed.”

“Good, that makes you the young charmer I had on the phone, nice to meet you in person.”

Hellen glared at Mark which caused him to shrink a bit. It wasn’t his fault he had a natural charm to him. The woman giggled before grabbing a tablet and walking away from her desk. The woman was surprisingly small, only coming to about half of Hellen’s height. “If you would follow me, we will be taking the elevator up to mister Hamid.”

Hellen followed the smaller woman with Mark right behind her. They entered an elevator that had so much gold and mirrors to them that it was almost blinding to them. The woman stood on a stepping stool and pressed the button for floor 42. Hellen looked at Mark with shock, they were nearly going all the way to the top.

The elevator went up and while waiting Hellen noticed a green spot on the woman’s neck, considering her goth appearance Hellen thought it might be a Tattoo, yet she kept looking, something felt off about it. She just couldn’t put her finger on it. She was pulled back from her thoughts when the elevator dinged. They had reached their floor.

The elevator door opened to a massive office that stretched over an entire floor. Inside they saw a large wooden table with a number of document and towards the window there was a desk where a man was on a phone. Mister Hamid, they presumed. The woman quickly gathered some papers off of the large table and asked them whether they wanted something to drink. Hellen asked for Coffee and Mark for a water. “No wine or whiskey then? I suppose it is a bit early for that, ill be back in a bit.”

She left through a door to the side of the office and later came back with their drinks. She then approached Mister Hamid and pointed out his guests were present. He quickly finished of his conversation and then set his phone aside. Approaching Hellen and Mark. Close up They noticed a black eye tattoo around his right eye which reminded Mark of an Egyptian pharaoh.

“My apologise that woman can talk my ears off for years if I let her. You must be Hellen, Lokir’s daughter, and who might you be?” he shook their hands while directing his attention to Mark. Hellen looked confused at Hamid, Who was Lokir?

“I am her husband, Mark. Mister Hamid I presume.”

“Yes, however no need to be formal, Hamid will do.” His smile was relaxing and almost magical. Even though he was dressed like a millionaire business man he acted as if they were on the same level.

“If I’m not mistaken you are here to discuss your father.”

Hellen nodded “However his name wasn’t Lokir, it was Loid.”

Hamid started laughing. “Ah yes, you know him by his American name. My apologies, I know your father by his given name of Lokir. He changed it not long after meeting your mother if I am not mistaken.”

“You knew him?” Hellen asked.

Hamid nodded. “Briefly he and I were partners, he was one of the first who signed a will with us. I even got the chance to meet you before Hellen, however I doubt you remember me, you were only a few months old.”

Hamid sighed, as if remembering the good old times. “However we do not have the time as of right now to dwindle on the past. Perhaps another day. First of all I must ask, do you trust your partner?”

Mark frowned and grumbled “What kind of stupid question is that.”

Hamid held up his hands in disarmament. “I mean nothing by it, it is our policy that we must ask it of the willholder. The willholder will have to sign a contract agreeing with your involvement. Its simply a policy to keep privacy in check. Our client value that highly and we respect that.”

Hellen nodded in understanding. “Give me the contract, ill sign it here and now. I trust him with my life.”

Hearing Hellen say that gave Mark a warm feeling deep inside him.

Hamid pulled out a contract and had them both sign it in the correct fields before signing it off himself.

“Now that that is out of the way, lets get to the meat of why you are here. You have quite the inheritance.” Hellen looked at Hamid trying to read him.

“What do you mean?” Hellen didn’t understand what he meant, her family didn’t have much growing up so there couldn’t be that much.

AS if noticing her doubt “Hamid answered her unspoken questions. “Lokir had a number of assets and investments, aside from that he had a fortune of a few billion dollars and a mansion not too far from here.”

Both Hellen and Mark listened to him but the words just didn’t land correctly.

Mark broke the awkward silence. “Wait did you just say Billions…”

“Yes.”

“As in US… Dollars…”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?” Hellen asked

“Yes.”

Mark looked over at Hellen expecting her to be baffled however he found her confused and sad.

“But if we had that why didn’t we have enough for mothers cancer treatment? If we had the money, maybe… why didn’t he…” her voice was cracking and her tears closed trying to hide her tears.

“I suppose I should shed some light on this. Lokir tried paying for the medical treatment, however your mother blocked it. He visited her a few times during her hospitalization. Your mother had asked him to stay out of it.” Hamid sighed in regret. “It wasn’t that Lokir didn’t care for either of you, leaving the two of you was the hardest thing he has ever done. I remember the day after your mother died very well. He was hurt, broken beyond repair. Please do not blame either of your parents for how things happened, they both wanted what was best for you, that I can promise.”

Hamid handed Hellen a handkerchief, which Hellen gratefully took. He let her take her time to calm herself down while Mark held her tightly.

Once sufficiently calmed down Hamid continued telling them about the will. A portion of the money (about 1.2 million dollars) were fees to legally hand over the will “However considering the amount gained it will be peanuts.” He remarked.

“There are a few items that are kept in the mansion that belong to others or that have been gifted to others. We will send personnel to collect those once you have decided on what you wish to do with the mansion.”

Hamid explained that while the mansion might be dusty, they checked it yearly to make sure it was safe and intact. He mentioned that a flight to Yorkshire could be arranged to visit her fathers grave, he would arrange it himself if they brought a small gift with them to place at his grave. “I cant go myself due to work but I would appreciate it if you could deliver it for me.” he explained.

Hamid gave them the details on the will and then left the office so they could decide. “What do you think? It seems to good to be true…”

Mark stared at the figure Hamid had estimated, it could solve their money problems for the rest of their lives and still live like kings and queens. “it does seem too good to be true, yet no matter how I look at it, everything checks out.” He pointed out.

After a few minutes of deliberation the two came to an agreement just before Hamid came back.

“Well what do you want to do?” he asked Hellen.

“I accept the inheritance and we are keeping the mansion.”

Hamid smiled and handed them the paperwork to sign. Once done the small woman brought them back downstairs and handed them their plane tickets and all the reservations needed to get and stay in Yorkshire.