Chapter 17 - THE WILL BENEATH THE WILL
Claire stared at Anna.
“That makes no sense.”
Anna opened the waterproof case recovered at the cemetery.
Inside were the missing board records.
But beneath them was another document.
Jonathan Whitmore’s original will.
Ethan read it first.
Then he handed it to Claire.
Jonathan had transferred fifty-one percent of his personal holdings into a private trust months before his death.
The beneficiary was Claire.
Not at age thirty.
Not after public acknowledgment.
Immediately.
The later trust found in the safe was a decoy.
“The board thought the first trust had been destroyed.”
Anna explained.
“Jonathan asked me to hide the original.”
Claire looked at Eleanor.
“Did you know?”
“No.”
For once, Claire believed her.
Anna continued.
“Richard controlled the company because he assumed Jonathan’s shares had returned to the board.”
“But legally, they never did.”
Ethan looked at Claire.
“You’ve owned controlling interest since you were seventeen.”
Claire almost laughed.
“I was working two jobs to pay college tuition.”
Anna’s eyes filled with guilt.
“I know.”
“You knew I owned millions?”
“I knew accessing the money would expose you.”
Claire stood.
“So you let me believe you were dead.”
“I believed Richard would kill you.”
“You don’t get to call that protection.”
Anna flinched.
Claire continued.
“You missed eleven birthdays.”
“My graduation.”
“Every terrible apartment.”
“Every Christmas.”
“I buried an empty coffin.”
Anna cried silently.
Claire’s own tears came now.
“You should have trusted me enough to let me choose whether I wanted to be afraid.”
Anna nodded.
“You’re right.”
There was no excuse.
That made Claire angrier.
And somehow, it also made forgiveness possible one day.
But not today.
Ethan closed the file.
“The board meets tomorrow.”
Claire looked at him.
“For what?”
“To appoint Richard’s replacement.”
Eleanor gave a tired smile.
“They assume the scandal will weaken the family.”
Claire looked at the original trust.
Then at the portrait of Jonathan.
“No.”
May you like
She closed the folder.
“Tomorrow, they learn who owns the family.”
