Chapter 13 - The Hidden Deed
The autumn leaves had begun to fall across the Vance estate, painting the long cobblestone driveway in brilliant shades of amber, bronze, and crimson.
Inside the main estate library, Evelyn sat behind her late husband’s mahogany desk, reviewing the annual tax reports for the estate. A warm fire crackled in the stone fireplace, casting soft flickering shadows across the leather-bound books lining the walls.
The heavy double doors of the library creaked open. Marcus walked in, his face unusually grave, holding a black leather courier pouch.
"Mrs. Vance," Marcus said, his voice unusually tight. "We have a problem."
Evelyn set her reading glasses down, her gray eyes instantly focusing on her security chief. "What is it, Marcus?"
"An hour ago, a legal representative from a Zurich-based investment group delivered a formal notice to the county registrar," Marcus explained, setting a stack of stamped legal documents onto her desk. "They are challenging the title of the Vance estate."
Evelyn’s brow furrowed. "That's absurd. The Vance estate has been in my family for three generations. Clara held sole title before her passing, and it transferred directly to Lily."
"Not according to these," Marcus said, opening the folder. "Three months before her death, Clara signed a secondary corporate guarantee with a Swiss holding company—a company we have just traced back to Vanessa’s family in Europe."
Evelyn picked up the document, her sharp eyes scanning the complex legal jargon. Her breath hitched as she reached the bottom of the page.
There, stamped in blue ink, was Clara’s signature.
"This is a forgery," Evelyn declared, her voice dropping into a dangerous, icy tone.
"We ran the signature through our forensic handwriting analyst twenty minutes ago," Marcus said quietly. "It's not a forgery, Mrs. Vance. Clara signed it. But look at the date."
Evelyn checked the date: November 14th.
"That was the week Clara was hospitalized for severe pneumonia," Evelyn whispered, her eyes widening in realization. "She was heavily medicated... she was barely conscious!"
"Vanessa slipped the document into her hospital paperwork," Marcus confirmed. "Under this guarantee, if the Vance corporation ever undergoes a leadership restructuring due to criminal charges within the core family... fifty-one percent of the estate’s land rights automatically transfer to the Swiss holding company."
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Evelyn stood up slowly, her hands gripping the edge of the heavy mahogany desk.
"She set a dead man's switch," Evelyn realized, her chest rising and falling heavily. "Even from a prison cell, she is trying to steal this house out from under Lily."
