The Inheritance Games, #4
The Brothers Hawthorne
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Contents
CHAPTER 1: GRAYSON
Overview
Grayson Hawthorne is introduced in the present as controlled, driven, and unable to separate rest from mastery, even while training beside the remnants of the childhood tree house. Xander confronts Grayson’s obsession with helping Avery give away the Hawthorne fortune, revealing the pressure Grayson feels to keep his promises and remain indispensable.
The brothers’ banter also touches on their recently uncovered fathers, especially Xander’s growing bond with Isaiah. The chapter ends with an urgent 911 text from Nash, shifting the story from Grayson’s self-imposed discipline to an immediate family emergency.
Summary
Grayson Hawthorne trains alone near the remains of the brothers’ childhood tree house, pushing himself through precise knife-fighting sequences. Grayson treats speed, discipline, and mastery as obligations, reflecting the Hawthorne belief that anything worth doing must be done better than well.
Xander interrupts Grayson’s training and teases him for having turned even a supposed hobby into another specialty. Grayson insists Hawthornes do not have hobbies, only areas of expertise, and prepares to return to work rather than relax.
Grayson explains that he has twenty-eight billion reasons to stay focused: Avery has committed to giving away most of the Hawthorne fortune within five years. With only months left to finalize the first three billion dollars in donations, Grayson feels bound by his promise to support Avery at every step.
Xander argues that Grayson needs balance, but Grayson points out Xander’s own obsessive inventing since school let out. When Grayson gently asks about Isaiah, Xander avoids the subject, and the chapter notes that Isaiah is Xander’s biological father and the only one of the brothers’ fathers who has truly acted like one.
Grayson tries to dismiss Xander, assuming Avery and Jameson have sent his brother to watch over him. Before their banter can escalate, Grayson’s phone buzzes with a text from Nash; Xander receives it too. Grayson reads the message aloud: “Nine-one-one,” signaling an urgent family crisis.
Who Appears
- Grayson HawthorneDisciplined Hawthorne brother training obsessively and committed to helping Avery give away billions.
- Xander HawthorneYounger brother who checks on Grayson, jokes with him, and receives Nash’s urgent text.
- Avery Kylie GrambsHawthorne heir whose five-year philanthropic goal drives Grayson’s current work and pressure.
- Nash HawthorneBrother who sends Grayson and Xander a terse 911 message.
- Isaiah AlexanderXander’s biological father, mentioned as a meaningful presence in Xander’s life.