Chapter 384 The Appointment of an Heir
Amid the uproar, Robin walked up the steps arrogantly and snatched the microphone from the emcee. “This will, in my hand, appoint the heir to the 40 percent equity under Old Mr. Burton’s name and all the inheritance distribution issues of the Burton Family.”
Everyone at the venue made clamorous comments after they heard Robin’s words. Suddenly, Frankie stood up. “President Gunson, with all due respect, how do we know whether the will in your hand is the real deal? In other words, you’re all talk without any substance to back up your claim. So it couldn’t be that you want us to believe you just like that when you say Old Mr. Burton has left the entire Burton Group in your hands in this will?”
“Yeah! How could we believe this will?”
“Who knows if it’s the real thing?”
“It’s fake. I heard that Old Mr. Burton didn’t see anyone before his death.”
“That’s right! That will. How could it end up in his hands?”
Sure enough, Justin’s status in Burton Group was not something Robin, who just became the president for two days, could rock.
Furthermore, the key to Burton Group lay in the word ‘Burton’. The biggest shareholder was Arthur. Therefore, he had the final say on who would be the president.
“My words are not credible, but the lawyer’s words are credible. Am I right?” As soon as this sentence escaped Robin’s lips, those words gradually silenced the people at the venue.
It was only then that everyone noticed the person following behind Robin was not his usual assistant. Instead, the man in the suit was about 40 years old, and he looked rather old.
At once, someone recognized the man.
“That’s Old Mr. Burton’s lawyer!”
“It’s Mr. Walker.”
After that, the lawyer took the microphone that Robin handed him with a severe expression. “Everyone, please let me speak. I’m Michael Walker, and the will in Mr. Gunson’s hand is indeed the will left by Old Mr. Burton on his deathbed. It was mainly a recording and my notes. The notary office has notarized the will, and it had legal effect.”
Meanwhile, Justin kept staying silent. However, the moment he heard these words, his pupils contracted. “Mr. Walker, are you saying my Grandpa left a recording before he died?”
Michael looked at Justin and slightly nodded as he heard the question. “Yes.”
“What did Grandpa say?”
“It’s all here in this will.”
Robin gave up his spot for the lawyer. “Mr. Walker, I think everyone is anxious. Why don’t you just read the will directly?”
“Very well.”
In the huge memorial hall, the portrait of Arthur was facing everyone. It was decorated with bright yellow and white chrysanthemums. However, the memorial service of a wealthy family was never just as simple as mourning. This will that suddenly appeared affected the emotions of everyone present.
“According to the doctor’s appraisal, Old Mr. Burton was conscious before his death, and he had the mind and the right to make decisions. Therefore, he had entrusted me, Michael Walker, as a notary lawyer to be present before his deathbed and record the will. The following is the content of the will. The real estate under Old Mr. Burton’s name, including shops, facade houses, etc., is divided into two parts. One will be handed over to the trust foundation to take care of his granddaughter, Tina. If Tina recovers, she can use it freely. Old Mr. Burton holds 43 percent of Burton Group’s shares. According to his request, a sole heir has been appointed for the shares.”
When everyone listened to this part, they became anxious.
Justin is naturally the first heir, regardless of Old Mr. Burton’s sole focus or the laws on inheritance rights. However, since there’s a will, it means that there is an unforeseen circumstance.
As expected, Michael announced, “The sole heir is Julian Burton, the grandson of Arthur Burton.”
Who? Everyone looked surprised when they heard the name.
“Who is Julian Burton?”
“Who’s that? Have you heard of him?”
“No, I haven’t.”
As the discussion got louder, Frankie was also stunned by the turn of events. “Who? Julian Burton?” Justin, who was beside him, frowned slightly. It was also his first time hearing the name.
Then, someone piped up, “Doesn’t Old Mr. Burton only have one grandson? Who is this Julian Burton? Where did he come from?”
“That’s right. Were you perhaps mistaken?”
Michael nodded politely toward the person as he heard that line of inquiry. “I’m sure of it. In addition to the will, I have a DNA test here. The test confirms that Mr. Julian Burton is a member of the Burton Family that was lost and just found recently. He is Old Mr. Burton’s grandson.”
“Where is he then?”
“That’s right. Who exactly is he?”
At this moment, a figure walked up the steps unhurriedly. Each step taken was slowly, as if they were waiting for everyone’s attention.
The discussion voices gradually faded, and all eyes were on the man who came to the stage.
Like a shot, someone had realized something. Unbelievable!
Robin said, “Let me introduce: this is another grandson of Old Mr. Burton, Julian Burton.”
Soon, Julian stood on the stage with his hands behind his back. It was his habit after performing surgery.
“Sorry for being late, I was in the hospital performing a surgery, and it’s also my last operation. I think most of you here today are not unfamiliar with me, so I won’t bother with introductions. You have heard the contents of the will. When the equity redistribution announcement comes out, I will be taking over Burton Group. My name is Julian Peters, and I’m also Julian Burton.”
The hall was as silent as the grave. Then, after a few seconds, everyone exclaimed in shock.
“Isn’t that Justin’s cousin?”
“Yeah. How did he become Old Mr. Burton’s grandson?”
The moment Justin saw Julian, he stood up abruptly. He stood out amongst the crowd in black with a height of nearly 6’3 feet, and he looked at Julian, who was on the stage, in disbelief.
Likewise, Julian was also looking directly at him.
When their eyes met, the familiarity of living under the same roof for more than 30 years seemed to disappear in a puff of smoke. What was left was only the unknown and boundless loneliness.
The memorial service ended in a hurry.
In the afternoon, Hudson Pharmaceuticals. “Chris! Breaking News!” Jolly didn’t even knock on the door when she barged in while Rachel read a financial report.
In the meantime, Rachel was not surprised by Jolly’s exaggerated actions anymore. She did not even raise her head. “The director of the Marketing Department had an affair with the secretary and was caught by his wife and got slapped in the face? Or the new intern from the Finance Department got rejected yet again when they tried to bribe their supervising officers?”
Jolly was akin to a humanoid gossip maker. Due to the nature of her work, she needed to connect with various departments. Hence, she knew all the gossip of each department like the back of her hand.
“No! This time, it’s really big news! If you knew about this, you wouldn’t be able to continue reading your report. Trust me!”
“Fine, fine. Tell me.”
“At the Burton Family’s memorial service in the morning, a lawyer read out Old Mr. Burton’s will and appointed the heir to the equity of Burton Group. Guess who’s that heir?”
Rachel perfunctorily said as she flipped to the next page of the report, “Who else could it be? Currently, the Burton Family only has one heir.”
Jason is imprisoned, and he is deprived of his basic political rights. He will never be released from prison in this life. Thus, he has no right to inherit anything at all. As for Robin? He’s merely a blind follower of Jason.
Jolly retorted, “Do you think I’ll consider that as breaking news if it was Justin?”
“If it’s not him, then who else can it be?” Rachel finally raised her head.
“You’ll never be able to guess who it is no matter how hard you try.” Then, Jolly took a deep breath and said slowly, “It’s Julian.”
