A Dangerous Mystery (An Inheritance Games Fanfic: Grayson Hawthorne x New Girl)

The Heiresses

The sound of a chair screeching against the floor sprang through the room, and the next thing I knew, Avery had bolted from her seat and was running outside. "Avery," I called after her. I quickly followed her, Libby on my heels.

Avery stood at the front doors of Hawthorne House, heaving heavily. "Are you okay?" I asked when we'd reached her. "Also: Are you insane? When someone gives you money, you don't try to give it back," Libby continued.

"You do," Avery argued. "Everytime I try to give you my tips." Libby let out an exasperated sigh.

"We're not talking tips here! We're talking millions!"

Technically, it was billions, but I didn't share that with my sisters. "This goes for you too, Cas. What on earth is wrong with you girls? Think about what this means. We'll never have to worry about money again. You can buy whatever you want, do whatever you want. Those postcards of your mom's?" As she said this, her eyes widened with excitement. I nodded slowly to show my understanding, and Avery did too. "You go to those places. Imagine the possibilities, girls."

To be honest, I hadn't even thought of going to those places in Mom's postcards. I'd been thinking about how I could use that money to pay up all those loans I took. A shudder ran through my body despite the heat of Texas. I'd completely forgotten about that.

Whatever, I thought. I tried to push that thought to the back of my head—unsuccessfully.

Once again, I started to zone out while Avery and Oren arranged for our stay at a motel.

When we got there, my mouth dropped. This most definitely was not a motel. This was like a 7/5 star hotel.

As we walked into the lobby, Alisa Ortega was waiting for us. Everything she said was a blur, so I just nodded when needed. I couldn't hear anything over the roar in my ears, and my vision became tunneled. It was all I could do to follow my sisters towards our rooms.

I barely heard anything Alisa said to us, but I understood one thing: if we were to inherit Tobias Hawthorne's fortune, we would have to live in Hawthorne House. Normally, that wouldn't be much of a problem with me, but when you were to spend a year in a mansion full of people who most likely want to kill you, you would be a little reluctant too.

"The only difference is Avery will need to move in three days, while Cassiopeia-" "Cassie," I interrupted. Alisa stared at me for a good five seconds before continuing, "And Cassie will need to move in by tomorrow." I blinked at her, startled. Before I could ask her why, she interrupted me. Touché. "Mr. Hawthorne has not specified why this differences are there, but as long as they are in place, we will have to follow them."

Avery asked what would happen if we refused. "If you fail to move into Hawthorne House in three days time," Alisa said, "your portions of the estate will go to charity."

My eyes widened. All of it, it goes to charity? Not towards the family. Wow. Mr. Hawthorne really said "Screw my family."

Avery asked a few more questions, but my mind tuned them out with my own. Why did he disinherit his family? Why leave everything to two poor girls from Connecticut?

Why leave everything to us?
......................................................................

I'm on a plane. I stare excitedly at the clouds below us through the window. I'm practically jumping in my seat.

"Calm down, Cat," he says. I turn towards him, my giant smile still carved into my face. "But I wanna ride the clouds."

He laughs, and for a split second, I see a huge smile on his face too. Then it immediately transforms into a ice-cold expression. The same expression he'd been wearing since I met him.

I gasp as I sat up straight in bed. I glanced at my surroundings, expecting to see the plane and the man. But there's no one. Then I remember. The inheritance. Tobias Hawthorne. I groaned. So I really was in Texas, waiting for the inheritance. I took a shaky breath as I tried to remember the details of my dream. The man. I tried to imagine his face, yet it was a blur. He was just... there. I remembered his laugh, that smile, yet I couldn't  picture his face. It was agonizing.

A quick glance at the clock told me it was 2:30 am. Moving day. I rubbed my face, trying to relax my tense facial muscles. Who was that man? Was he my father? Family? Friend? Kidnapper? 

Sighing, I looked over at the bed Avery was supposed to be sleeping in. It was empty. Panic filling me up, I jumped out of bed.

I heard laughter coming from the balcony. Quietly, I stalked to the balcony door which was open just a crack. There I heard my sisters' voice. She spoke for a bit, then paused, then spoke again. She must be in a call.

Relieved, I quietly stepped back to my bed. I crawled into the soft sheets. I tucked my hands behind my head. My eyes started to close, and once again, the plane ride replayed.

"Calm down, Cat!"
"But I wanna ride the clouds!"
That laugh.
That beautiful smile.
Then wiped away.
Replaced with a face colder than the Arctic.
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*some lines were taken directly from The Inheritance Games, credits to Jennifer Lynn Barnes*

a/n: hey y'all I had no idea where I was going with this chapter so ig it's a filler. This is probably like the worst chapter I've done but I promised y'all this chapter a week ago 😭 I'm trying but the Girl Scout Cookie Season has started and literally I'm running around selling cookies. Srry y'all I should be pretty free this week. also I'm going to post the next chapter tmrrow or Thursday bc I'm a busy child 👹👹👹. (I'm posting according to CST over here). also sorry (not sorry) for the slow burn hEhEhE I FOUND A PLAYLIST FOR GRAYSON AND IT FITS SO WELL LIKE VHHAAATTTTT let me know if u wanna bear it! 😁 omg this is so freaking long c'yall later!!!!!