Chapter 9 - THE INHERITANCE“My inheritance?”
Grandma sat beside me.
“I never wanted you to know.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted you to have a normal life.”
“What inheritance?”
She looked at the letter.
“Your grandfather created a private trust.”
“For me?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
She shook her head.
“That doesn't matter.”
“It matters.”
“Approximately four million dollars.”
I stared at her.
Four million.
Suddenly, the debt made sense.
The forged company.
The fake accounts.
The loans.
They weren't trying to steal random money.
They were trying to position themselves around an inheritance.
“When do I get it?”
“On your twenty-first birthday.”
My heart stopped.
“I’m almost there.”
“Yes.”
“That's why they're rushing.”
Grandma nodded.
My family didn't want me to own anything independently.
They wanted the trust to absorb the debts.
But there was more.
“What does the letter mean?”
Grandma looked away.
“Your grandfather suspected your father would try to access the trust.”
“Did he know Dad was unstable?”
“He knew your father was desperate.”
I read the letter again.
The real target is the inheritance.
Then I noticed a second envelope.
Inside was a legal certificate.
A trustee's name:
Evelyn Hart.
I stared at my attorney's name.
“What?”
Grandma smiled sadly.
“I selected her years ago.”
“You knew Evelyn?”
“Yes.”
“That can't be.”
“She worked with your grandfather.”
I called Evelyn.
She answered immediately.
“You found the box.”
“How did you know?”
“I knew your grandfather had left something.”
“You're the trustee.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I wanted you to discover who your family really was before the trust activated.”
I felt betrayed again.
“So you knew.”
“I knew there was something wrong.”
“You let them keep using me.”
“I couldn't interfere without evidence.”
I was angry.
“You could have warned me.”
“Yes.”
She paused.
“And I'm sorry.”
I looked at the documents.
“What happens when I turn twenty-one?”
“The trust becomes fully yours.”
“And the debt?”
“Not yours.”
“Even the $1.2 million?”
“Especially that.”
I breathed out.
For the first time in days, I felt relief.
Then Evelyn said:
“There is one complication.”
“What?”
“The trust has been frozen.”
“Why?”
“Because someone filed a legal claim against it.”
“Who?”
“Blackridge Holdings.”
My stomach dropped.
“How?”
“The claim states that you personally guaranteed the company debt.”
“That signature is fake.”
“I know.”
“They know.”
“Yes.”
“Then why file it?”
Evelyn's voice became quiet.
“To force you into court.”
“For what?”
“To delay the trust transfer.”
I suddenly understood.
They didn't need to win.
They just needed to create enough legal chaos to keep the money frozen.
“How long?”
“Potentially years.”
I clenched my fists.
“Then we fight.”
“We will.”
That night, I received another anonymous message.
A photo.
It showed Lauren standing beside Victor Hale.
The timestamp was three months old.
The day before she asked me to pay the cruise deposit.
The message beneath the photo said:
She wasn't begging you. She was recruiting you.
I stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
Ask Lauren what happened to the first person who refused.
My heart pounded.
I called her.
No answer.
I called again.
Still nothing.
Then Matt called me.
His voice was barely audible.
“She's gone.”
“What do you mean?”
“Lauren.”
“What happened?”
“I came home and she was gone.”
“Did she leave a message?”
“Yes.”
“What did it say?”
Matt swallowed.
“She said if you want the truth, meet her at the old warehouse.”
“When?”
“Tonight.”
I looked at the clock.
11:43 p.m.
Then Matt added:
“And she said…”
May you like
“What?”
“Don't bring Dad.”
