Chapter 5 - The Warning Grant Refused to Explain
Grant entered the nursery without removing his wet coat.
He stopped when he saw the court officer.
Then he noticed the signature sheet in Lena’s hand.
“Get out,” Lena said.
“This is my daughter’s room.”
“This is my house.”
Grant glanced at Noah.
“You should not trust him.”
Noah remained calm.
“You submitted a false request to remove me as trustee.”
“I submitted nothing.”
“Your handwriting is beside Lena’s forged signature.”
Grant looked toward Vivian’s practice sheet.
“My mother wrote those instructions.”
“The handwriting is yours.”
“She asked me how Lena signed her name.”
“Why?”
Grant’s jaw tightened.
Lena stepped between him and the crib.
“What is the second agreement?”
Grant looked at the camera above Ava’s bed.
“You heard the recording.”
“I heard enough.”
“Then you know my mother was involved.”
“I also heard you admit creating a company in Ava’s name.”
“I was trying to protect us.”
“By borrowing twelve million dollars against my inheritance?”
“The estate was never the real collateral.”
Noah spoke.
“What was?”
Grant looked toward the officer.
“I will only speak to Lena.”
“You are in no position to make conditions,” Noah replied.
Grant’s attention stayed on his wife.
“If the estate is sold, Crown Meridian receives control of Arden Infant Holdings.”
“What does that company own?”
“At the moment, nothing.”
“At the moment?”
“It has acquisition rights.”
“To what?”
Grant hesitated.
Lena’s patience ended.
“You locked your wife and newborn child outside. You forged documents saying I was mentally incapable. You used Ava’s identity to secure a secret loan. Do not stand in her nursery and tell me you were protecting us.”
Grant’s expression cracked.
“You think I wanted this?”
“You signed the papers.”
“I was cornered.”
“By whom?”
“A man connected to your grandmother.”
“Mr. Rook?”
Grant’s eyes narrowed.
“How do you know that name?”
“You said it on the recording.”
Grant moved closer and lowered his voice.
“Celeste knew Crown Meridian existed. She spent years hiding something from them.”
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I know it is connected to the house.”
Noah stepped forward.
“Then why risk the house?”
“Because Rook claimed the loan would fail unless the estate appeared in the security filing.”
“And you believed him?”
“No. I was desperate.”
Grant rubbed his face.
“Mercer Ridge had three days before collapse. If the company failed, the investigation would expose everything.”
“What everything?” Lena asked.
Grant looked away.
She understood.
“You lied to your investors.”
“I moved money between projects.”
“You stole.”
“I intended to replace it.”
Noah’s phone vibrated.
He checked the message.
“The title review has found two preliminary filings involving Arden House.”
Grant turned sharply.
“It was only supposed to be one.”
Noah looked at him.
“One legitimate filing would still be fraud. What is the second?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who prepared the documents?”
“Crown Meridian.”
“Who signed them?”
Grant did not answer.
Lena looked at Ava.
Her daughter’s entire life had begun beneath a net of lies.
“Leave,” Lena said.
“Lena, listen to me.”
“You will communicate through Noah.”
“Do not sell the house.”
“Why?”
“Because that is what Rook wants.”
“You just said Crown Meridian would take control if I sold.”
“They don’t care about the building.”
“Then what do they care about?”
Grant looked toward the nursery floor.
“Something Celeste hid beneath the east wing.”
Noah and Lena exchanged a glance.
“The east wing has no basement,” Lena said.
“That is what I thought.”
Grant reached into his coat.
The county officer placed a hand near his radio.
Grant slowly removed an old brass key.
“I found this in Celeste’s desk.”
A small symbol had been engraved into its head.
A crown divided by a black line.
Noah’s face changed.
He had seen the symbol before.
“Where?” Lena asked him.
Noah did not answer.
Grant held out the key.
“Your grandmother left instructions that this was never to be used unless someone attempted to sell the estate.”
Lena did not take it.
“How do you know?”
“Because the instruction was written inside the blue ledger.”
The missing ledger.
“Where is it now?”
“My mother gave it to Rook.”
A crash sounded downstairs.
Mrs. Ellis hurried into the nursery.
“Mrs. Vivian is in the library.”
Lena turned.
“With whom?”
May you like
Mrs. Ellis looked frightened.
“She is burning documents.”
