One Wild Night

Very early on Monday morning Sara prepared to leave for her transplant. She couldn't help feeling giddy with delight that things were going her way and she was finally getting a new liver.

She was also feeling very happy because she would finally be getting rid of Crystal. As long as Crystal was dead, no one would be able to point accusing fingers at her.

She hummed a happy tune as she gazed at her reflection in the full-length mirror which covered one of the four walls of her bedroom.

The fact that the procedure had been scheduled to take place in Ludus didn't make her anxious or affect her joy as it would have done ordinarily since she knew that neither Harry nor Thomas were in Ludus at the moment.

She had agreed to have it done that Monday mostly because she knew they would all be away for the funeral of Lawrence Hank, so she could do what she needed to do and get rid of the girl before they returned.

She was Sara Walker. The ever-beautiful, ever-young, and intelligent Sara. She would always get what she wanted and would always go scot-free no matter what she did or whoever was involved. That was because she was smart. She knew just how to handle her stuff and take care of her business.

Rebekah and Wilson weren't as smart as she was, hence the reason they fell the way they did. She could never fall that way. She told herself as she walked out of her bedroom to go find Crystal.

While Sara was feeling very excited, Crystal on the other hand was feeling very tensed about going with Sara since she had no idea what Sara could do.

Although Harry had assured her the first time they met that the transplant wouldn't hold and it was just a trap for Sara, she couldn't trust Sara to play by Harry's book.

The thought that she could lose her life if Harry was even late for a second sent shivers down her spine. This was one of the reasons she had wanted contemplated killing Sara before Harry's call.

Although she was scared of going with Sara, but it was nothing compared to what she had felt when Harry called to warn her about ruining his plans.

Thinking about it again, it occurred to her that if Harry could know about her plans and everything going on between her and Sara, then Harry had his eyes on her and Sara and would definitely not be too late, Crystal assured herself as she quickly sent Harry a text letting him know they would be leaving soon.

Crystal took a deep breath to calm herself before walking out of the room. She met Sara just outside her bedroom door, and she put on her poker face.

"Good morning, Sara. You look beautiful as always," Crystal said with a pleasant smile since she knew how vain Sara was when it came to her physical appearance.

"Thanks, Crystal. I can see you are ready to leave," Sara said as she looked Crystal over, and she couldn't help the little pang of sadness she felt.

If only things weren't as they were, she wouldn't mind having Crystal around a little longer. Unfortunately she was in need of the girl's liver and she had to get rid of the girl so that anyone wouldn't find anything to use against her that would tarnish her image.

"Yes. I am ready," Crystal said sounding more confident than she felt.

"Alright. We should leave for the airport now. We don't want to miss our appointment," Sara said as she led the way out of the house.

Emma, Sara's assistant, looked at Crystal pitifully as she held out the door for Sara and Crystal to get into the car.

"Sara?" Crystal called after they had driven in silence for a while.

Sara turned to her with a raised brow, "Yes, dear?"

"What if I get tested and I'm not a match?" Crystal asked, surprising Sara, who had not expected such a question.

"Then we will know we exhausted every possible option and I can die peacefully," Sara said with a forced smile and Emma who was driving rolled her eyes, while Crystal resisted the urge to smirk.

"I hope this works. I can't afford to lose you," Crystal said as she squeezed Sara's hand gently and Sara smiled at her.

"I hope it works too."

Away from there, in the Hank family residence, everyone was unusually quiet and solemn as they got ready to leave for the graveside, and even Jamal could read the room and tell that he couldn't chatter endlessly.

Lawrence's funeral had once again reminded them all of their loss.

For Evelyn, she had lost her former employer, her friend, and father-in-law.

For Desmond he had lost a father no matter how distant and awkward their relationship had been.

For Tom, he had lost his grandfather and the very first person who had believed in him enough to have invested the bulk amount in his company when it had only been a startup venture. And it was thanks to his grandfather that he had the caliber of investors and business partners he had now.

For Bryan and Jade they had lost their grandfather who had showered them with love as much as he could even though he wasn't always present.

Regardless of the rumors that had sprung up after his death, his funeral was like a royal event as people from the different countries he had been to and advocated for traveled down to pay their final respects.

Throughout the presidential procession and all that was done at the funeral to honor the man he was, Evelyn and Jade wept sorrowfully, while Tom and Bryan consoled them, and Desmond stood where he was just staring into space.

Their sadness seemed to rub off on their partners, especially Lucy who still wished now more than ever before that she had not spoken to Lawrence so harshly the last time they spoke, and she also wished she had called earlier to apologize before the old man died.

Sonia on the other hand couldn't control her emotions as she bawled when she remembered how Lawrence had complimented her writing skills and had even offered to give her a copy of his latest book in exchange for her autograph.

Maybe it was pregnancy hormones or the tangible sadness in the atmosphere, but whatever it was, Sonia couldn't control how it made her feel.

The more she tried to stop herself from weeping, the more she cried gaining the attention of some of the audience who couldn't understand why she was weeping so much when she wasn't even directly related to him.

Harry watched Jade with a feeling of helplessness as Bryan comforted her, since Lawrence's immediate family were standing in front and the rest of them were standing behind, so he couldn't be there with her to comfort her as she wept.

After the ceremony, Desmond stood still as most of the people came to him to tell him how wonderful his father was, and how they were sorry that such a great man was no more.

Desmond didn't say a single word to anyone in response. Instead he merely nodded to acknowledge them. Desmond wished he was anywhere else but there in that moment.

He wished he didn't have to stand here and listen to everyone sing praises of his father when he had spent almost all his life hating his father for living the way he did.

Evelyn and Tom who stood beside Desmond, did the talking on his behalf since they all knew that Lawrence's death had hit Desmond the hardest.

Even when they had all briefly forgotten and had moved on in the last couple of days due to all the drama, Desmond had never stopped grieving the loss of the father he never made peace with.

Some of the guests tried to subtly enquire if the rumors concerning Lawrence was true, and if truly he had a daughter.

Instead of denying it, Evelyn and Tom admitted, as they had all agreed to do, that Lawrence did have a daughter, but it was no one's business so they should stay out of the Hank family business.

When they got home a couple of hours later, the Hank family went into the study with Henry, Lawrence's assistant, and Lawrence's attorney, who had come to read the Will.

"I must apologize for taking your time this way," the attorney said apologetically but none of them responded as they waited for him to go on.

"Before I go on with reading the Will, Henry has a letter from Lawrence, which we first have to read. Lawrence wanted an adjustment made to the Will but he died before he could reach me," the lawyer explained but they could all guess what changes Lawrence had wanted to make.

"I found two letters in his drawer at his hotel suite when I went to pick up his belongings after he passed on. One of it was addressed to his attorney, and the other to his family," Henry explained as he handed an envelope to Desmond, but Tom took it from him instead.

"We will be reading the one addressed to me, as I'm sure you will prefer to read the one for the family in private," the attorney said and Desmond sighed.

"Can you skip the formalities and tell us what he said in simple terms?" Desmond asked in a tired voice since he couldn't wait to be done with all of it.

"He bequeathed all his landed property to you, Desmond. Evelyn, he left you all the books in his library. He also left forty per cent of his cash to Evelyn and his only granddaughter, twenty percent each. He left fifty percent to charity, five to his assistant, Henry, and the remaining five he left to you, Desmond to do as you please. He left all his shares in I-Global to Thomas. And his cars and private jet he left to Bryan. His shares in other companies is to be split between Jade and Bryan, with Jade having sixty per cent of it. This was the original will," The attorney said, and they all looked at him.

"What changes did he want to be effected?" Evelyn asked before anyone else could ask.

"He wants his granddaughters-in-law…."

"Granddaughters-in-law?" Tom cut in.

"Yes. He mentioned their names. Sonia and Lucy. He wants them both to receive 20 per cent each from the royalty of his books upon their weddings to his grandsons, and the rest of it should be put in trust-fund for his daughter, Dawn. Also, he wants his other shares which were formerly to be shared between Jade and Bryan to be split in three, with Dawn getting forty per cent of his shares, and Jade having thirty-five per cent, and Bryan twenty-five," he concluded and then looked around the room at each of them.

"I understand if you want to contest the Will," he said and they all looked at him with blank expressions.

"Why would we want to contest the Will? And why would you think we will want to do that?" Tom asked and he shrugged.

"It's natural if you don't consider the kid part of yo…."

"She is one of us and she will get all her father left for her. If that's all, let's call it a day," Desmond said and the attorney gave him a nod and rose to leave.

Once the attorney and Henry had left, Tom handed the letter to Desmond, "You should read it," Tom suggested and Desmond nodded as he took it from him.

They all watched as Desmond opened the envelop and took out the letter from it. He was as curious as they all were to see the final words of his father to him. He wanted to see what his father had to say to them all.