Chapter 5 - THE TWO-HUNDRED-MILLION-DOLLAR LIE
"Two hundred and eighty-six million dollars?"
Elena repeated the number as though speaking it slowly might make it less ridiculous.
She had spent the previous week worrying about rent.
Her restoration contract barely covered her expenses.
And somewhere, according to the documents in Adrian's office, there was a fortune connected to her name.
Dante examined the trust agreement.
"Your mother wasn't just restoring property for my family. She discovered that the Belandis had been diverting money from a redevelopment trust."
Adrian nodded.
"Sophia secured the evidence. Your mother, Dante, arranged for the recovered assets to be placed into a protected trust until the case could be resolved."
Elena looked between them.
"Then why am I the beneficiary?"
"Because Sophia was the principal witness," Adrian explained. "The money was meant to protect her and compensate the people harmed by the scheme. She named you as the beneficiary of her protected share."
Dante frowned.
"That doesn't explain the current valuation."
"No," Adrian said. "The assets appreciated. The warehouses and waterfront properties are worth far more now."
Elena thought of all the years Caroline had refused to help with college tuition.
The birthdays when her aunt told her to be grateful for a roof over her head.
The comments about her weight, her ambition, her mother's supposed disgrace.
"She wanted me to feel worthless," Elena whispered.
Adrian hesitated.
"She also needed you to remain unaware of your rights."
Dante turned another page.
"The trust releases control when Elena turns twenty-seven."
"When?" Elena asked.
Adrian looked at her.
"Friday."
Two days away.
Elena felt the room tilt.
Victoria's cruelty at dinner suddenly seemed less random.
The invitation.
The archive trustees.
The conversation with Dante's attorney.
The missing chair.
"They wanted me humiliated," Elena said. "They wanted me to leave before I learned anything."
Dante's expression darkened.
"Or they wanted to make you look unstable and unreliable before challenging the trust."
Adrian opened another folder.
"Caroline filed a petition six months ago claiming Elena couldn't manage her own financial affairs."
Elena stared at him.
"She what?"
"She included statements from two physicians and an employer."
"My employer?"
Dante looked at the document.
"Hawthorne Historical Archive."
Elena recognized the signature at the bottom.
Dr. Frederick Hale.
The archive director who had praised her restoration work just the previous morning.
Suddenly, every uncertain contract renewal made sense.
Someone had been making sure Elena never became financially independent.
Dante reached for his phone.
"Marco, bring the car around."
"Where are we going?" Elena asked.
"To speak with Dr. Hale."
But before they reached the door, Adrian stopped them.
"There's something else."
He handed Elena a sealed legal envelope.
"This arrived yesterday. It was supposed to be delivered to Caroline."
Elena opened it.
Inside was a petition requesting emergency guardianship over her estate.
Caroline Whitmore had asked the court to declare Elena incapable of making independent financial decisions.
The hearing was scheduled for Friday morning.
But the most horrifying detail appeared on the final page.
Attached to the petition was a proposed medical treatment authorization.
It requested involuntary psychiatric confinement.
Beginning that very afternoon.
Elena slowly lifted her eyes.
"They weren't just planning to steal my money."
Dante took the papers.
"No."
May you like
His voice turned cold.
"They were planning to make sure nobody ever believed you again."
