12. Logan

Chapter 12

Logan

Six Months Later

The Westbrook family gathered in the grand drawing room, anticipation lingering in the air. Mother had outdone herself and I hadn’t expected anything less. She commanded attention the moment she entered, wearing a tailored navy suit with gold accents. Her gold brooch—a family heirloom—caught the reflection of the light as she adjusted her teacup.

Henry slouched beside me, sitting on a velvet settee, and absentmindedly scrolling on his phone as his knee bounced in restless impatience. I tapped him on his shoulder, reminding him to put it away and focus. Casey stood by the bay window with one hand in his pocket. The other hand rested on the window frame as he gazed out at the garden. Suddenly, he turned and glanced at me, offering a faint smile that made my chest tighten.

Over the past six months, I’d fallen for a man who had completely changed my life.

To say that his presence was a blessing was an understatement. He’d brought laughter and warmth into a house that had been quiet for far too long. Casey’s sheer presence had a way of making everyone feel lighter and brighter.

Henry was thriving with a high GPA, looking at colleges in the Charleston area. I was thrilled to know that Henry wanted to stick around. That way, I could secretly and covertly keep an eye on him.

After our confrontation a few months back, the Mercers officially dropped their custody pursuit, so I was no longer worried about that.

Casey winked at me, and it set my heart racing—my devastatingly handsome man.

Veronica cleared her throat, causing me to glance in her direction.

She was perched—rather dramatically—on a chaise lounge, her lips pressed in an angry thin line.

Aunt Mildred sat nearby, patiently sipping her tea as if she were watching a play she’d seen dozens of times before but still found amusing.

“Well,” Mother said, placing her teacup down with a deliberate clink, “let’s not pretend we don’t know why we’re here. It’s time to address the elephant in the room.”

Veronica shifted in her seat.

“There’s something that needs to be discussed,” Betsy added. “Someone has shown a blatant disregard for this family’s integrity. Veronica, I’m talking about you. You orchestrated the slanderous article. You attempted to damage Casey’s reputation… and by extension, Logan’s.”

Veronica looked flustered. “I’m sure there’s been a misunderstanding.”

Besty lifted a printed copy of the article in the air and showed it to Veronica, glaring at her.

Mother’s voice was steady and somewhat cold. “There’s been no misunderstanding—this is the evidence, Veronica. Your actions were cruel, calculated, and shameful—and they’ll have consequences. I will not allow you to benefit from this family’s legacy.”

Veronica’s face went pale as Betsy stared her down.

“To that end,” Mother said, delivering the final blow, “you’ll receive nothing from my estate, Veronica. You’re no longer entitled to any aspect of the Westbrook family name.”

Hunter raised an eyebrow and looked over at Dean who also appeared shocked. They mumbled something to each other under their breath. Of course they were interested in this dramatic turn of events; they stood to inherit some of the one-hundred-million just like the rest of us.

Glancing at Casey, I could see that he too was completely stunned.

Veronica stared at Mother in complete silence before jumping to her feet and stomping out of the room, fury and humiliation written across her face.

Finally, Mother turned and looked at me, her expression softening into something tender. “Logan, you’ve been a loyal son, an incredible father, and a treasure for this family. I’m happy to announce that I’m giving you thirty-million-dollars of the Westbrook fortune.”

Her words crashed over me like a tidal wave, leaving me breathless for a moment.

My heart pounded as limitless possibilities flashed before my eyes: paying for Henry’s tuition at his dream school, buying a home for us, sweeping Casey off his feet for a romantic getaway, just the two of us… the possibilities were endless.

The weight of it all gripped me. It felt as if years of strain had been instantly lifted.

“Mother,” I managed, nearly gasping, “I don’t know what to say.”

She leaned forward and offered a warm, knowing smile. “When it’s family, you don’t have to say anything at all. Just know that I love you.”

She paused for a moment, her eyes twinkling, before adding, “But there’s one thing.”

Here it comes.

My stomached flipped inside.

Is there a condition?

“I would never tell my grown children what to do,” she said with a sneaky grin, “but I do hope now you can at least reconsider the grueling hours at the hospital. Henry needs you more than they do, believe me.”

Henry’s face perked up instantly as he sat beside me. “Yeah Dad! Can you cut back on hours so you can be home more? Could you be here in time for dinner?”

I didn’t need to give it a moment’s thought. The answer was already there in every beat of my pounding heart.

“I can do better than that,” I said, pulling Henry in for a hug. “Tomorrow, I’ll give them notice that I’m resigning my position.”

For years I’d dreamed of leaving my stressful job at Pinehurst Medical and spending more time with Henry before he ran off to college. If I ended up with too much time on my hands, I could pursue something quieter like teaching at a medical school, a dream long buried under the weight of family responsibility.

Now, finally, I could make our dreams come true.

Mother broke the silence by addressing my brother Hunter and my cousin Dean.

“Hunter and Dean,” she said, “your bequeathments will be announced in the coming weeks and months. Hunter, I was thrilled with the carnival, so that’s working in your favor. Dean, the auction was a smashing success.”

She was obviously going to leave them in suspense, but I knew they were probably hoping she’d split the remainder of the one hundred million—after the portion bequeathed to me—between the two of them.

Mother rose to her feet with a triumphant smile. She came over and wrapped both me and Henry in an uncharacteristically warm hug.

“Thank you,” I said again. “This is lifechanging for me and Henry. You’ve given us the gift of more time together.”

“Now that’s a legacy to be proud of,” she said softly. “A legacy worth building.”