My breath caught as I untied the ribbon and scanned the papers. It was a will—completely different from the one Natalie had shown me. In this version, everything was left to me: the house, the savings, even Richard’s small business. Relief, anger, and confusion surged all at once. Why had Richard hidden this? And why had Natalie and Andrew concealed the truth?
The evidence was undeniable. My heart ached at the thought of my own children deceiving me, but the facts stared back at me from the page. Sinking into the leather chair, I felt the full weight of the secrets pressing down.
Then my phone vibrated again, startling me. Another message from the same unknown number flashed across the screen: “Trust no one. I’m close. I’ll explain soon.”
A flicker of hope cut through my turmoil. If Richard was still alive, I had to find him—but first, I needed answers from my children. As the walls of the study seemed to whisper with hidden truths, I knew this was only the beginning. The real story had yet to unfold.
