the heiress and the Qatar brothers

Chapter 1 Her father's death. Aelia's POV I stared in shock, looking as his body was being laid into the ground. Shock has been a predominant feeling, engulfing me in more ways than one since the time I heard of his death. Everything seemed to fade away as I looked at him, wishing for one more minute with him, to tell him how deeply I loved him and just how much it saddens me that he had to go too soon. " It's okay. Please you have to stop crying. It's really not good for your health" I could hear some people consoling my step mother as she howled in the corner. My step siblings were beside her too, tears streaming down their eyes but I just stood there, staring at his grave. " What is her problem? She does not even seem moved by his death. Oh he gave birth to a heartless child. " I could hear someone mutter. I knew that was directed at me. I wanted to explain to her that I could not process it, I wanted to tell her that I had stayed up all night wishing he would come home late just like he always did, but my lips did not move. " She has always been that way." I heard my step sister whisper amidst her tears. The priest droned on and on with his preachings and finally, when he stopped, I felt a hand tap my shoulder. " Dear girl, it's time for the will reading" he said. It was my father's lawyer, a squeamish man with little beaded eyes. I felt my feet move along with him, walking towards the apartment as we all settled into the couch. " Go sit somewhere else, this is reserved for your sister!" One of my aunts said as I made to sit down. I looked at her, wondering where the sudden contempt was coming from but I said nothing. I looked around to see the whole seats filled up, each of them staring at me fiercely as though expecting me to open my mouth and say a word. I refused to say nothing, instead standing at the back, my legs aching. The lawyer cleared his throat, opening his big portfolio as he looked around the room. " First of all I must say that I extend my deepest condolences to the family of the bereaved. It is really a hard thing to swallow as Mr Rodrigo is one of the best men I have worked with. However without further ado, I would love to read out his will" he said, pulling out the documents. I could see the eager looks on all their faces even though they tried to hide it. A bunch of greedy fools that only flocked around my father because of his money. " To my sister, I leave my six estates in Dubai and my album collection" he read. I saw the woman, an old woman who had become a bit too fond of make up that I had forgotten how she looked. She smiled but quickly disguised it with a sob. " He was such a good man" she said. I watched the list drone on and on, everyone getting something including my step siblings. But the best asset had not been called yet, the inheritance that everyone coveted so dearly. " And, last but not the least, I give my multi million company and all its branches, to my wife" he read, snapping the will shut. Murmurs erupted around the gathering as they all stared at me, watching me intently, their eyes mocking. " I know she wouldn't get anything, he never really liked her you know?" I heard one of my cousins say. I could feel my heart thudding. I did not care about the will or what I could get, I just wanted to mourn my father in peace but their gaze only got worse and slowly, even as they dispersed, they still cast scornful looks at me, as though mocking me. When they all left, my step mother walked closer to where I had stood, frozen to the ground. " You heard the will right? This house that you are now standing in belongs to my daughter, it's no longer yours. We would be the ones living here." She said, her eyes bearing me down, her look drawing tears from my eyes. " But ..this was my father's house I have lived here all my life. Why would you just take that away from me?" I asked her. She scoffed. " Did you not listen to the will? Or have you become too absent minded that you don't hear properly? My father willed the house to me. It's now mine, and I don't want you staying in it" the girl, the one who always acted as though she was in a competition with me said. " Micha let me handle this. I don't want you to stress yourself further. Look Aelia, this house now belongs to us, but I have stayed with you for so long I just can't watch you leave into the streets. So how about this, you would stay here, but you would stay in the staff quarters " my step mother asked. I raised my head in alarm, staring at her. Perhaps she saw the look in my eyes, because she grunted, flicking her hair off her shoulder, all hint of her tears gone. " That is the most we can do for you. The house now belongs to Micha and she deserves to have the best room in it. For so long you have hoarded the biggest room, now it's time for you to move out of it" she said. " I won't tell you twice do you hear me? I want your things out of that room this very instant or I would fling them out the door and watch you live on the streets" Micha said. They turned away, walking away from me. I just stood there, watching my whole world crumble before my very eyes. And for the first time since I heard of my father's death, I fell on my knees and cried, allowing the sorrow rake my body.