The True Heiress

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

POV: Melody Jones

I have the absolute worst seat on the plane, but I am too engrossed in my work to notice. The problem isn't the people sitting next to me, who are just a quiet couple, but my seat. I am right above the engine, so it is extremely loud. I am also in the window seat, which is making it even louder. I guess this is what I get for booking a discounted flight last minute.

It's been exactly a week since my birthday, and exactly a week since I learned the truth about my life. The day after the letters, I booked a cheap, last minute flight to Conneticit. And so, here I am flying alone to find out what my father had meant in his riddle. My tray table is pulled down, and my laptop is open on it. I am wearing noise canceling headphones, which is a plus. I think I need to learn more about my biological father.

First, I go on google, type in Tobias Hawthorne II, and hit enter. There are thousands of results at once, but it is a news article that strikes my attention. It is the first thing listed on the search page, and was written 20 years ago. The headline is, "Billionaire's Son Caught in Island Fire; Presumed Dead" I immediately click on it and started reading.

Famous billionaire, Tobias Hawthorne's 19 year old son was caught in an island fire yesterday night. Sources state that the fire happened around 9:00 PM. Tobias Hawthorne II and three of his friends were spending some time at his island vacation home. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but part of the reason the fire started was the thunderstorm that night. Tobias Hawthorne, one of the richest men in America, said he will not stop looking until Tobias II is found. The other people in the fire were Kaylie Rooney, Anders Wright, and David Golding. We were surprised to hear that the bodies of all three of these people were found in the ruins of the fire, and yet Tobias's II was missing. Kaylie Rooney has a long criminal record including drugs and arson. The parents of Wright and Golding are blaming her, and saying that she caused the fire, and committed arson once again. We cannot prove this is true until further proof. Anders Wright and David Golding both went to the same school as Tobias II, and were thought to be friends. All four of these teens are presumed dead until further evidence proves wrong. This had been a horrible accident, and we give our condolences to their families.

This was just a small paragraph from the long article, but I feel like I have enough information. My father is presumed dead, but according to the letters, he actually didn't die in that fire. It stated that a girl (my mother) had found him washed up on shore after the fire. That means if I were to reveal what my letters said, it would be life-changing for the Hawthorns and the world. I pictured the headline, "Tobias Hawthorne II Revealed Alive By Old Letters". I gulp. That is probably why my dad told me not to show anyone those letters. It all makes sense now. There is now a lot more pressure riding on me. I cannot reveal to anyone that I have these letters, or else I will be uncovering that I am Tobias Hawthorne II daughter, and that he may still be alive.

I research more about my dad, and his old family too. So far, since those letters were written he hasn't had any contact with his family. Some articles say that he was named after his father, Tobias Hawthorne. Wait...

It says here that he passed away recently. Oh my god! He was a billionaire philanthropist! I remember, Toby had 2 sisters, Skye and Zara. I scroll and read more. It says that Skye has four sons. Nash Hawethorne, the oldest, then Grayson, Jameson, and lastly, Xander. They all mainly live at The Hawthorne House which is Tobias Hawthorne's mansion. But, it seems that the Hawthornes own many properties. I click on Nash's name and it shows that he is more of a freelancer and does not like to get too involved with the family drama. According to this, the will has not been read, but it seems like Grayson will most likely inherit the money along with the company since he already manages most of it. Jameson and Xander are still in high school, and there is not much info on them. At least now I know what I am dealing with.
I check the time on the screen in front of me and see that I only have a few minutes before the flight lands in Connecticut. I zip my laptop into my backpack and get ready to get up.
Let's plan this out. Say I go to the park tomorrow after checking into my room. What will I find? I can guess that I might see my father there. But, no way he is out in the open without an alias to go by, a different name, something. I'm just going to go by gut instinct, and assume that he will be there. Either he is there waiting for me, or watching something or someone. If there is anything I have learned from my... wait how many years of taking English classes, it's that you can always tell what kind of person the author is based on how they write. Now, I am going to take a leap of faith here and say that he will be there. For some reason, whether it be me, or something else, one thing is for certain. He will be there.