Chapter 13 - The Original Parker
The next morning, Claire traveled to the oldest Parker property in the state.
It had been abandoned for thirty years.
The property records showed no current owner.
But the hidden archive told another story.
The original Parker had not died.
He had transferred ownership of the company into a private trust.
That trust had never been dissolved.
Claire stood inside the old estate with Elizabeth beside her.
"So Parker Holdings never belonged to Grandpa."
Elizabeth shook her head.
"No."
"Then who owns it?"
"We don't know."
Claire looked at the walls.
There were photographs everywhere.
Generations of Parkers.
But one photograph had been turned face down.
Claire lifted it.
A young man stood beside the original Parker patriarch.
The man looked familiar.
She studied the photograph.
Then she recognized him.
"That's Grandpa."
Elizabeth nodded.
"Before he changed his name."
Claire looked closer.
Another person stood beside him.
A little girl.
Claire's heart stopped.
"Who is she?"
Elizabeth stepped closer.
"I don't know."
On the back of the photograph was a date.
1968.
And a sentence.
The girl inherits if the bloodline fails.
Claire stared.
"Who was she?"
A voice answered from behind them.
"Me."
Claire spun around.
An elderly woman stood in the doorway.
She wore a dark coat and carried a wooden cane.
Claire stared.
"Who are you?"
The woman smiled.
"Someone your grandfather spent his entire life trying to forget."
Elizabeth stepped forward.
"Grandmother?"
The woman looked at her.
"No."
She smiled sadly.
"Your great grandmother."
Claire froze.
The woman continued.
"I am Daniel's grandmother."
Claire couldn't speak.
The woman walked slowly toward the table.
"Your family has spent decades fighting over a company that was never supposed to belong to any of you."
She placed a sealed document on the table.
"The real inheritance is here."
Claire looked at it.
"What is it?"
"The original trust."
"Who controls it?"
The woman smiled.
"Nobody."
Claire frowned.
"Then why does it matter?"
"Because it activates when the Parker family commits fraud."
Claire looked at Elizabeth.
"And it has activated?"
The woman nodded.
"Three days ago."
Claire's eyes widened.
"Why?"
"Because your mother signed the final document."
Claire froze.
"Patricia?"
"Yes."
Claire looked down.
The woman continued.
"Your mother did not know what she was signing."
Claire's mind raced.
"Who made her sign?"
The woman smiled.
"Now you're asking the right question."
She pushed the document toward Claire.
"Open it."
Claire hesitated.
Then she broke the seal.
The first page contained a list of names.
Ray Parker.
Patricia Parker.
Tyler Parker.
Daniel Parker.
Claire Parker.
Elizabeth Parker.
And one final name.
Claire stopped breathing.
The name belonged to someone who had been dead for twenty years.
She looked at the elderly woman.
"Why is this name here?"
The woman answered.
"Because he never died."
Claire whispered.
"Who?"
The woman pointed toward the hallway.
"Ask him yourself."
Footsteps sounded.
Slow.
Measured.
Someone entered the room.
Claire turned.
And saw the man from the photograph.
May you like
Her grandfather.
Alive.
