“We’ve come to claim our rightful share of your father’s inheritance. Pack your bags and leave, now,” he demanded.
I smiled just as my lawyer walked in behind her.
The morning dew still clung to the roses when I heard the click of expensive heels on my garden path. I didn’t need to look to know who it was. Only one person would dare wear Louboutins to trample my father’s most treasured garden.
—Madeline? —her voice dripped with feigned sweetness—. I see you’re still playing with the dirt.
I continued pruning my father’s white roses, the ones he’d planted for my wedding day. The wedding that ended in divorce papers and my ex-husband running off with the woman who was now chasing after me.
“Hi, Haley.”
“You know why I’m here,” he said, approaching, his shadow falling on the flowerbed. “The reading of the will is tomorrow, and Holden and I think it’s best to talk… civilly.”
I finally turned around, wiping my dirt-covered hands on my gardening apron.
“There’s nothing to talk about. This is my father’s house.”
“It was, his inheritance,” Haley corrected, her perfectly painted red lips curving into a mocking smile. “And since Holden was like a son to Miles for fifteen years, we believe we’re entitled to our share.”
The pruning shears in my hand suddenly felt heavier.
“The same Holden who cheated on his daughter with his secretary? That Holden?”
“Ancient history,” Haley said, waving her well-manicured hand dismissively. “Miles forgave him. They kept playing golf every Sunday until…” She paused dramatically. “Well, you know.”
My father’s death was still fresh, a wound that hadn’t even begun to heal. He had been gone barely two weeks before, and there was that woman, that vulture, circling what she thought was easy prey.
“My father wouldn’t have left Holden anything,” I said firmly, standing up straight. “He might have been many things, but he wasn’t stupid.”
Haley’s fake smile faltered.
“We’ll see. Your brother, Isaiah, seems to think differently.”
The mention of my brother sent a chill down my spine. We hadn’t spoken since Dad’s funeral, where he’d spent more time comforting Holden than his own sister.
“Have you spoken to Isaiah?”
“Oh, honey,” Haley said, leaning closer and lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “We’ve done more than talk. He’s been very… helpful.”
I gripped the pruning shears tighter, remembering Dad’s words from years ago: Roses need a firm hand, Maddie, but never a cruel one. Even the sharpest thorns have a purpose.
“Get off my property, Haley,” I said quietly. “Before I forget my manners.”
She burst out laughing; it sounded like breaking glass.
“Your property? How sweet. This house is worth millions, Madeline. Did you really think you could keep it all for yourself? Playing house in Daddy’s mansion while the rest of us get nothing.”
“My father built this house brick by brick,” I replied firmly, despite the anger boiling inside me. “He planted every tree, designed every room. This isn’t about money. It’s about legacy.”
“Legacy?” Haley scoffed. “Wake up, Madeline. It’s all about money. And tomorrow, when that will is read, you’ll learn it the hard way.” She turned to leave, but stopped at the garden gate. “Oh, and you might want to start packing. Holden and I will need at least a month to renovate it before we move out.”
As her heels clicked away down the path, I looked at the roses, their white petals now speckled with dirt where my trembling hands had crushed them. Dad always said white roses represented new beginnings, but all I saw was red.
I pulled out my phone and dialed the only person I knew would understand.
“Aaliyah? It’s me. Haley just paid me a visit. Yes, she’s exactly as bad as we thought. Can you come over? There’s something about the will I need to discuss with you.”
My best friend’s voice was firm and reassuring. “
I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Don’t worry, Madeline. Your father was smarter than you think.”
As I hung up, I saw a small envelope peeking out from under one of the rosebushes, its corner damp with dew. The handwriting was unmistakably my father’s, and it was addressed to me. I took it with trembling hands, wondering how long he had been waiting there, hidden among the thorns. The paper felt heavy, as if it carried more than just words.
“Well, Dad,” I whispered, turning the envelope over in my hands. “Looks like you left me one last surprise.”
Aaliyah arrived exactly on time, carrying the legal briefcase in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.
“I figured we’d need it,” she said, raising the bottle as she entered Dad’s office.
I still had the unopened envelope, sitting on the edge of my father’s leather armchair. The room smelled of his pipe tobacco and old books, a scent I wasn’t ready to lose because of the renovations Haley was promising.
“Haven’t you opened it yet?” Aaliyah pointed at the envelope, putting down her briefcase.
“I wanted to wait until you arrived,” I said. “After what Haley said about Isaiah helping them…”
“Open it,” Aaliyah insisted, pouring two generous glasses of wine. “Your father was very specific about certain things that needed to be revealed at certain times.”
I jerked my head up.
“What do you mean?”
She handed me a glass.
“Open the letter, Madeline.”
With trembling fingers, I broke the seal. Inside was a single sheet of paper and a small, ornate key.
“Dear Maddie,” I read aloud, my father’s voice echoing in my mind. “If you’re reading this, then someone has already made a move on the inheritance. Knowing human nature as I do, I’m guessing it’s Haley. She always reminded me of a shark: all teeth and no soul.”
Aaliyah let out a giggle into her glass.
—“The enclosed key opens the bottom drawer of my desk. Inside you’ll find everything you need to protect what’s yours. Remember what I taught you about chess: sometimes you have to sacrifice a pawn to protect the queen. Love, Dad.”
I looked at Aaliyah, who was already moving toward the desk.
“Did you know about this?”
“I helped prepare him,” he admitted, gesturing for me to use the key. “Your father came to see me six months ago, right after his diagnosis. He knew exactly how it would all play out.”
The drawer opened with a soft click. Inside were a thick manila envelope and a USB drive.
“Before you look at that,” Aaliyah said, sitting on the edge of the desk, “there’s something you should know about tomorrow’s reading of the will. Your father added a codicil three days before he died.”
—A what?
—An amendment to the will. And believe me, it changes everything.
I scattered the contents of the manila envelope onto the table. Photos fell out, dozens of them: Haley meeting with someone in a dark parking lot; Holden walking into a law office that wasn’t Aaliyah’s; bank statements; printouts of emails.
—Did Dad send them to investigate?
“Even better,” Aaliyah said, her smile sharp. “She had them followed. That USB drive contains videos of Haley trying to bribe your father’s nurse for information about his will, two days before he died.”
My hands trembled as I took one of the photos.
“Is that… Isaiah meeting with Haley?”
“Three weeks before your father died,” Aaliyah confirmed. “But look at his face in the next photo.” In the second one, my brother was leaving the meeting with a disgusted expression. In his hand, he was holding what looked like a check.
“He kept the check as proof,” Aaliyah explained. “He took it straight to your father. That’s when Miles knew he had to act fast.”
—But Haley said that Isaiah was helping them.
“Your brother has been playing a dangerous game, Madeline. Giving them just enough information to keep them trusting, while helping your father gather evidence of his conspiracy.”
I slumped back in the chair, my mind racing.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Haley had to show her hand first,” Aaliyah said, pulling some papers from her briefcase. “Tomorrow, when I read the will, Haley and Holden will think they’ve won. The initial reading will give them a significant portion of the inheritance.”
“What?!” I stood up so fast that my glass tipped over, staining the carpet red.
“Let me finish,” Aaliyah said, raising her hand. “That’s when the codicil comes into play. Your father set a trap, Madeline. The moment they accept the inheritance, they trigger a clause that exposes his attempted manipulation and fraud. Everything—the photos, the videos, the bribes—becomes a public record.”
I looked at the evidence on the desk, finally understanding.
“He made them believe they were winning so they would incriminate themselves.”
“Exactly,” Aaliyah said, her smile triumphant. “The royal will leaves everything to you, with a trust for Isaiah. Haley and Holden get nothing except a very public exposure of their true colors.”
—And tomorrow… —I whispered.
“Tomorrow,” Aaliyah said, taking a quick gulp of her wine, “we’ll see them fall into their own trap. Your father’s final lesson on consequences.”
Isaiah arrived late at night, a far cry from the confident brother who had stood by Holden’s side at the funeral. His designer suit was wrinkled, and there were shadows of weariness under his eyes. He hesitated in the doorway of the office, clutching a leather folder like a shield.
“You look terrible,” I said, breaking the ice.
“Yeah, well, being a double agent isn’t as fun as it is in the movies,” he forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Can I come in?”
I gestured to the chair opposite.
“I see you found Dad’s insurance policy,” Isaiah said, nodding at the photos.
“Why didn’t you tell me what you were doing?” The question came out harsher than intended.
He slumped into the chair.
“Because I had to make things right. After everything with Holden, how I treated you during the divorce… I was an idiot, Maddie.”
“You were my brother,” I corrected. “You were supposed to be on my side.”
“I know.” She opened the folder and took out a check. “This is what Haley offered me: half a million dollars to testify that Dad wasn’t in his right mind when he made his final will.” She slid it toward me. “I took it straight to Dad. You should have seen his face, Maddie. He wasn’t angry, just… disappointed. Then he told me about his plan.”
“There’s more,” he continued, pulling out a phone. “I recorded everything. Every meeting, every offer, every threat.” He pressed play.
Haley’s voice filled the room:
“…as soon as the old man kicks the bucket, we’ll contest the will. With your testimony about his mental state and Holden’s long relationship with him, we’ll keep everything. That Madeline won’t know what hit her.”
My hands clenched into fists. The recording continued.
Now Holden’s voice:
—“…we’ll sell the house, liquidate the assets. Madeline can go back to her little apartment and her pathetic landscaping business. She never deserved any of this.”
“Turn it off,” I whispered.
Isaiah obeyed and pulled out one last document.
“This is why I came tonight. Haley didn’t just want money, Maddie. She wanted revenge on you. For making Holden feel guilty, for humiliating him when you caught them together.” He slipped the paper to me. “She was his secretary for three years. This document proves she started embezzling from Dad’s company six months before you caught them.”
—Did Dad know this?
—He found out just before the diagnosis. He was building a case against her, but then the cancer… So he started planning this. Sometimes justice needs a different path.
“The codicil,” I murmured.
—Yes. Tomorrow will be brutal, Maddie. They think they have it all figured out. Haley even hired a camera crew to document the “historic moment” when they take possession of the estate.
Despite everything, I laughed.
—He hired cameras to record his own downfall. Dad would have loved the irony.
The morning of the reading of the will dawned bright and clear. Haley’s camera crew was already set up in the office.
“You should see her out there,” Isaiah announced, slipping through the door. “Practicing her acceptance speech.”
A commotion in the hallway interrupted him. Haley’s voice came through the door, high and excited.
“We’ll put the new chandelier here! The old one is so outdated.”
“To your places,” Aaliyah murmured, smoothing down her jacket. “Let the show begin.”
Haley walked in first, wearing a black dress that probably cost more than my car. Holden followed, looking uncomfortable. The camera crew came in behind them.
—Madeline—Holden nodded stiffly.
“Let’s begin,” Aaliyah announced, stepping behind Dad’s desk. “As Miles’s lawyer, I will read his last will and testament, along with any additional documents he may have prepared.”
The initial reading was exactly as Aaliyah had warned me. The inheritance, including the house and the company shares, was divided: 60% for me, 40% for Holden and Haley.
“I knew it!” Haley squealed, grabbing Holden’s arm. “Miles cared about us too much to leave us out!”
—However—Aaliyah continued, cutting short Haley’s celebration—, there is a codicil, added three days before Miles’ death.
Haley’s smile faltered.
“A what?”
Aaliyah broke the seal on a new envelope.
“Acceptance of any inheritance under this will is contingent upon a full investigation into certain financial irregularities discovered in the months leading up to Miles’ death.”
The room fell silent.
—What irregularities? —Haley’s voice had lost its triumphant edge.
“Maybe this will clear things up,” Aaliyah said, sliding the photos across the desk. “Or this USB drive with pictures of an attempted bribe. Or these bank statements showing systematic embezzlement at Harrison Industries.”
Holden grabbed one of the photos; his face went pale.
“Where did you get these?”
“Dad had a good collection of evidence,” Isaiah said from his corner. “Including recordings of the two of you plotting to contest the will with false testimony about your mental state.”
Haley stood up so abruptly that the chair fell backward.
“Turn off those cameras now!”
“Oh, no,” I said, standing up to face her. “The cameras are staying. You wanted to document this historic moment, remember?”
“They can’t do this!” he hissed.
“The codicil is very clear,” Aaliyah continued. “Any attempt to claim the inheritance automatically triggers the disclosure of all this evidence to the appropriate authorities. The decision is yours.”
“Decision?” Haley burst into hysterical laughter. “What decision? We’ve been set up!”
“No,” I corrected her. “You set it up for yourselves. Every maneuver, every plan, every attempt to steal what wasn’t yours… it all brought you to this moment.”
“This is your fault!” she turned on Isaiah. “You were supposed to help us!”
Isaiah shrugged.
“I helped. Just not you.”
“Holden!” he pleaded. “Do something!”
But Holden was already standing, straightening his tie with trembling hands.
“It’s over, Haley. We’ve lost.”