721 Chapter 720
Julius immediately frowned and said, âNonsense!â
Oliver chimed in, âGranduncle, you donât understand. Melissa and Jake are only after my money. But Marisa and Selena? They genuinely care about me. Just look at how much my relationship with Grandma has improved since they arrived. Itâs all thanks to them. Theyâre much more respectful than Melissa and Jake!â
Juliusâs face darkened.
But now wasnât the time to delve into family drama. He turned to old Mrs. Horton. âHow have you been lately?â
She smiled gently. âIâve been doing well. Donât worry.â
Julius walked over and sat beside her. The two began to chat, mostly about family matters. Julius did most of the talking while old Mrs. Horton smiled softly, listening.
Sitting there, Julius felt as if he had gone back to his childhood, following his sister-in-law everywhere. She had always been like a mother to him.
Julius could sense that her time was running short, and his heart ached.
After a long time, Nathan finally said, âUncle, itâs perfect timing that youâre here. We were just about to go over Momâs will again. With you here, you can be a witness. Plus, your presence should keep Lewis in line.â
Nathan had deliberately called Julius to come over. Discussing a will was something they could have handled with just the lawyer, but if Lewis didnât agree, they couldnât stand up to him alone.
Lewis had grown up in the old family estate, and he held a certain respect for Julius. With Julius here, Lewis would have to show them some courtesy.
As Nathan thought this, he glanced at Lewis.
Lewis sat there calmly, not saying a word.
Julius frowned slightly and looked at him before asking, âHow exactly do you want to change it?â
Nathan cleared his throat. âWell, naturally, everything that belongs to Mom should go to me! As her son, Iâm the first in line to inherit.â
Once Nathan got control of the shares, he could pass them along to Oliver. It would all end up in Oliverâs hands eventually.
Oliver sat nearby, already basking in his future victory.
Julius finally said, âThat doesnât seem right. I distinctly remember my sister-in-law saying she was leaving her shares to Lewis.â
âThat was before,â Nathan interrupted. âBut youâve seen it yourself. Lewis and his wife donât show her an ounce of respect anymore. She doesnât even recognize them! We have to revise the will, or the family members who truly care will be left out in the cold. Isnât that right?â
Julius frowned and turned to Lewis. âIs that true?â
Lewis lowered his gaze, saying nothing. In his mind, not spending every waking moment with his grandmother already felt like a failure.
But Keira wasnât about to let him be unfairly accused. She immediately spoke up, âOf course not! Granduncle, you know better than anyone how Lewis treats Grandma.â
Julius nodded. âThatâs right. Lewis has always been devoted to herâŠâ
Nathan sighed. âThat was the past. Ever since he got married, his entire world has revolved around his wife. What about us? We hardly even see him anymore, and even Grandma barely sees him once every couple of weeks. If that werenât the case, how could she remember the rest of us and forget only him?â
Juliusâs frown deepened.
Ever since the family moved from Oceanion to Clance, Julius hadnât been as involved in the affairs of the Horton Group. He wasnât as in the loop about what had been happening lately.
He turned again to old Mrs. Horton. âDo you really not recognize Lewis? Heâs sitting right there.â
Following Juliusâs gaze, old Mrs. Horton looked at Lewis.
She smiled kindly at him, just as she always had. She studied him for a long moment before speaking. âNo, I donât recognize him.â
Julius was stunned.
Oliver couldnât hide his excitement. âSee, Granduncle? Now you know who the real dutiful family members are!â
Julius clenched his jaw. âMy sister-in-lawâs illness is clouding her judgment. If she canât even recognize Lewis, we absolutely cannot change her will.â
Nathan objected, âWhy not? Back when Lewis was monopolizing her attention, she naturally distanced herself from us. But Oliver and I are her son and grandson. Sheâs bound to care for us, right? Uncle, you have grandchildren of your own. Could you really leave everything to just one, ignoring the others?â
That argument made Julius pause.
He furrowed his brow, clearly torn. Then, he turned to old Mrs. Horton and asked directly, âDo you want to change your will?â