Chapter 10 - The Heir Nobody Knew About
The photo made no sense.
Me.
Standing beside Grant.
Signing documents.
Documents I had never seen.
Daniel examined it.
“It’s fake.”
I looked at him.
“How sure are you?”
“Very.”
“Then why create it?”
He looked serious.
“To make someone believe you already transferred control.”
My mother stepped closer.
“They’re trying to make Ellie’s inheritance disappear.”
I stared.
“But how?”
Charles entered.
His expression was darker than before.
“Because Bluebird has a hidden condition.”
“What condition?”
He looked at Ellie.
“If the original heir is considered unable to protect the inheritance…”
I understood.
“They can appoint a guardian.”
Charles nodded.
“And that guardian controls everything.”
My stomach tightened.
“Grant.”
“Yes.”
The plan became clear.
Destroy my reputation.
Take custody of Ellie.
Control Bluebird.
Control the Kingsley empire.
Everything.
Then my phone rang.
A video call.
Grant.
I answered.
His face appeared.
For the first time, he looked nervous.
“Mara.”
“What do you want?”
He looked away.
“You need to listen.”
I almost laughed.
“Now you want to talk?”
“There are things you don’t understand.”
“No.”
My voice was calm.
“I understand everything.”
Grant’s face changed.
Then he whispered:
“I never wanted to hurt Ellie.”
“Really?”
“No.”
He swallowed.
“But someone is forcing me.”
The room became silent.
“Who?”
Grant looked terrified.
“I can’t say.”
“Why?”
“Because they’ll kill me.”
Before I could respond…
A shadow appeared behind him.
Someone else was in the room.
Grant looked back.
His face turned white.
Then the call ended.
Seconds later, a message arrived.
One sentence.
STOP SEARCHING.
And beneath it…
A photo.
May you like
Ellie.
Taken inside my own house.
