Chapter 5 - THE SECOND TRUSTArthur returned home with Sophie.
Elena remained distant.
She understood what the letter had done.
Arthur no longer knew what to believe.
Sophie stayed close to Daniel.
The two children connected almost immediately.
Daniel called her “Sophie.”
Then, after one afternoon together, he began calling her “my sister.”
Sophie smiled every time.
Arthur watched from a distance.
He wanted to trust his family.
But every new discovery made trust harder.
One evening, Maria came into the library.
“Mr. Vance.”
Arthur looked up.
“What?”
“I found another account.”
“Whose?”
“Daniel's.”
Arthur frowned.
“I thought we already found the trust.”
“This one is different.”
She placed a document on the desk.
Arthur read it.
The account had been established before Daniel was born.
Its beneficiary was Sophie.
Arthur looked stunned.
“Why would Sophie have an inheritance account before she was born?”
Maria shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Arthur called the bank.
The account was real.
And it contained millions.
Arthur asked:
“Who created it?”
The bank refused to say without a court order.
Arthur immediately contacted his attorney.
Meanwhile, Elena entered the library.
“What happened?”
Arthur showed her the document.
She stared.
“I've never seen this.”
“You swear?”
“Yes.”
Sophie appeared behind her.
She looked at the document.
“I've seen it.”
Everyone turned.
“Where?”
“In Richard's office.”
Arthur stood.
“What did he say?”
“He said it was insurance.”
“Against what?”
“He never told me.”
Arthur's phone rang.
Victor.
Arthur answered.
Victor said:
“The second trust is the real one.”
“What does it contain?”
“Control.”
“Control of what?”
“The Vance estate.”
Arthur froze.
Victor continued:
“Your grandfather never intended you to own everything.”
Arthur looked at Elena.
“He intended Sophie and Daniel to control it.”
“Why?”
“Because he knew the adults couldn't be trusted.”
Arthur laughed bitterly.
“He was right.”
Victor's voice became serious.
“Arthur, listen carefully.”
“What?”
“Someone is going to try to remove Daniel from the trust.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“Then why warn me?”
“Because I received a copy of the order.”
“What order?”
“A guardianship petition.”
Arthur's blood ran cold.
“Against me?”
“Yes.”
“Who filed it?”
Victor paused.
“Elena.”
Arthur slowly lowered the phone.
Elena stared at him.
“What?”
Arthur turned the screen toward her.
She read the document.
Her face went pale.
“I didn't file this.”
“Your signature is on it.”
“It's forged.”
Arthur stared at her.
Again.
The same excuse.
Again.
The same signature.
Someone was using Elena's identity.
But why?
Maria suddenly pointed to the bottom of the document.
“Mr. Vance.”
Arthur looked.
The filing attorney was Richard Hale.
Sophie stepped backward.
“Richard.”
Arthur immediately called the police.
Before they arrived, the estate's alarm sounded.
A window shattered downstairs.
Arthur ran.
A man in a dark coat fled across the garden.
Arthur chased him.
The man disappeared behind the greenhouse.
Arthur found only a black glove.
Inside the glove was a tiny metal key.
Arthur stared at it.
Sophie came running.
“That key…”
“What?”
“I've seen it before.”
“Where?”
“In Richard's office.”
Arthur looked toward the old greenhouse.
A thought struck him.
He ran inside.
Behind a wall panel was a locked cabinet.
The key fit.
Inside was a stack of documents.
And one photograph.
Arthur picked it up.
It showed Richard Hale standing beside Elena.
But the date was only three weeks old.
Arthur's heart pounded.
Richard wasn't simply hiding.
May you like
He was still working with someone.
And that someone was much closer than Arthur realized.
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