CHAPTER 57: THE WILL

Blackstone Manor.

Lucas pushed open the door, and Mrs. Wilson hurried over, lowering her voice.

"Sir, Mr. Aiden and his entire family are here—with their lawyer."

"Lucas, you’re finally back!"

Aiden’s face was dark as coal.

The living room was packed—every sofa occupied by people dressed to impress but radiating greed.

Lucas frowned slightly. He had a rule.

"I remember saying this before—when you’re in my house, you follow my rules. You’re all sitting on my furniture like that? You’re filthy. Who told you to sit down?"

He had a serious case of OCD when it came to his space.

Sophia raised an eyebrow from beside him, remembering how they’d played tricks on her earlier.

There were easily more than a dozen of them—men and women alike. The Hilton family had too many branches, and all of them were here for one reason: money.

"Lucas, come on, it’s fine if we sit. No need to make a big deal of it. You didn’t show up this morning even though you promised to visit, so we thought we’d come over instead."

Aiden’s tone was smug, his fake concern barely hiding his glee. He was hoping Lucas hadn’t completed the terms of the will. But seeing Lucas now, calm and unbothered, only made him uneasy.

"Mrs. Wilson, where are the children?"

"They’re all asleep upstairs."

Sophia nodded and looked at Lucas. "I’ll go check on them."

"Go ahead."

If Aiden wanted to play dirty, she needed to make sure nothing caught them off guard.

"Mr. Hilton," a middle-aged man said, rising to his feet with a polite smile. "I’m Phillip—the attorney representing your late grandfather. We met two years ago."

Lucas settled into a single armchair, legs crossed, eyes sharp and amused.

"Mr. Phillip, since you’re here, let’s get on with it. Time is money, and mine’s worth millions a minute."

Phillip’s smile stiffened. "Of course. According to your grandfather’s will, if you remained unmarried by your twenty-eighth birthday, half of Hilton Group’s assets would go to Mr. Richard Hilton.

"And today is your twenty-eighth birthday. As the legal witness, I must verify everything formally. Therefore, I must ask—did you truly marry Miss Sophia out of genuine intent?"

"If this marriage was purely for inheritance purposes, I have the authority, on behalf of the late Mr. Hilton, to transfer half of Hilton Group’s assets to Richard Hilton."

Phillip took out the will. It clearly stated that the marriage must be one of genuine affection and enduring companionship.

Lucas smirked, resting his chin on his hand.

"There’s another clause you seem to be skipping, Mr. Phillip. My dear grandfather set the same condition for Richard. If he isn’t married either, he forfeits his claim and gets only ten million."

He turned to Aiden, voice silky smooth.

"I heard Uncle Aiden say Richard’s wedding was supposed to be today. But from the looks of it, there’s been no ceremony. Which means Richard... isn’t married, is he?"

Lucas’s gaze flicked back to Phillip, his tone suddenly sharp.

"I always thought you were a reasonable man, Phillip. Seems I overestimated you."

Phillip flinched under the intensity of Lucas’s cold stare.

"Mr. Hilton is correct," he stammered quickly.

"Then tell me, Mr. Phillip," Lucas continued, voice low and deadly, "why question the legitimacy of my marriage while blindly accepting that of a man who hasn’t even had a wedding?"

Aiden gave a strained laugh.

"Lucas, my mistake! I forgot to tell you—Richard and Jessica are already married. We didn’t make it public, just had a small family dinner. The paperwork’s done. Only the ceremony remains."

Jessica smiled, echoing his words with a look of smug satisfaction.

"Oh? Such a big event like a wedding, and you didn’t invite any family or friends?" Lucas’s tone was calm but sharp. "That doesn’t sound like you at all, Uncle Aiden. Especially since you were discussing wedding venues with me just two days ago. What happened? Went over budget? Or are you waiting until you take over Hilton Group to throw a grand celebration?"

"Lucas, listen to yourself," Aiden replied with a fake laugh, trying to stay composed. "Do I look like that kind of man to you? Actually, I came here for another reason—to deliver your wedding invitation. Jessica, sweetheart, take out your marriage certificate. Show it to Lucas and Mr. Phillip."

Jessica reached into her designer purse, pulling out a marriage certificate, setting them neatly before Phillip—as if to declare victory.

Phillip examined them and nodded. "They’re legitimate."

Every eye in the room turned toward Lucas with silent judgment.

To them, this man—cold, calculating, and emotionally untouchable—could never truly fall in love.

He was a man who only loved control, power, and the empire he ruled: Hilton Group.

And Sophia? Just a designer. Talented, sure, even famous—but not their kind of woman. Not someone who belonged in the upper echelons of high society. The gap between her and Lucas, in their eyes, was insurmountable.

Then suddenly—

"Daddy!"

Six little voices came from the staircase, breaking the tense silence.

Every head turned.

One glance at those six little faces, and the resemblance was undeniable. Each child looked like a tiny replica of Lucas Hilton himself.

Aiden’s smug expression instantly froze.

Little Faye ran straight into Lucas’s arms, eyes bright with excitement.

"Daddy, Mommy said you’re taking us to the amusement park tonight! Is it true?"

Lucas lifted her effortlessly, settling her on his lap. "And what did Mommy say exactly?"

"She said it’s your birthday, Daddy! We’re all celebrating together!"

Sophia stepped forward, a folder in her hand, and tossed it onto the table in front of Phillip with a soft thud.

"Mr. Phillip, you’re the lawyer here, right? Then tell me—what makes you so sure our marriage isn’t real love?"

Her tone was sharp, deliberate.

"If you think we’re pretending, then maybe these six children are proof enough. They’re Lucas’s children—his flesh and blood."

She tilted her chin, her eyes unwavering.

"This is the DNA test. Since you don’t believe us, I suggest you take a good, hard look. Make sure your eyes are open this time—because if you miss a single word, that’s on you."

"DNA test?"

Lucas glanced at her, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

He hadn’t even known she’d done that.

Sophia rubbed her nose, pretending to look elsewhere.

She had only done it as insurance—just in case anyone tried to corner them.

And right now, that precaution was paying off beautifully.

Rumors about the children’s parentage—some claimed they were Lucas’s, others doubted it. But the kids were all around five years old, which meant if they truly were his, then he and Sophia had been connected five or six years ago, long before anyone knew.

The truth hit the room like a thunderclap.

Aiden’s family went pale.

Sophia smiled slowly, victory glinting in her eyes.

"If you still want to deny the DNA results, that’s your problem," she said coolly. "But if you think you can manipulate the law and steal the inheritance—"

She paused, her tone dropping, sharp as ice.

"—then my top-tier attorney will be waiting for you in court."