Chapter 6: The Man Who Wanted My Inheritance
I didn't move.
Richard Whitmore.
The man whose daughter had thrown me out of my son's house.
The man whose company had financed Jared's questionable loan.
The man my husband had refused to sell the mountain property to for years.
And now he was standing outside my estate.
I looked at Daniel.
“Did you let him in?””
“No, ma'am. He's waiting at the main gate.””
“Does he know I'm here?””
“He specifically asked for you.””
Margaret closed the folder.
“Leah, I strongly recommend that you don't meet him alone.””
I looked at her.
“Then come with me.””
We walked upstairs together.
Through the enormous windows, I could see a black SUV parked beyond the entrance gates.
A tall man stood beside it, wearing a dark overcoat.
Even from a distance, I recognized him.
Richard looked exactly as he had at Jared's wedding: expensive clothes, silver hair, and the confident posture of someone accustomed to getting what he wanted.
Daniel approached the entrance.
“Would you like me to call security?””
I shook my head.
“Not yet.””
He opened the front door.
Richard stepped inside without waiting for an invitation.
“Leah.””
His eyes traveled around the living room.
“Beautiful place.””
I didn't offer him a seat.
“What do you want?””
He gave a small smile.
“Straight to business. I can understand that.””
He removed his gloves.
“I came to discuss an opportunity.””
“I don't sell opportunities.””
He laughed.
“Thomas always did appreciate your sense of humor.””
The mention of my husband made my jaw tighten.
“Don't use his name as though you were his friend.””
Richard's smile faded slightly.
“I'm sorry about Thomas. Truly. He was a difficult man, but a very capable businessman.””
“He was my husband.””
“I know.””
Richard walked toward the windows.
“It's a remarkable property. I've always admired it.””
“Then admire it from outside.””
He turned.
“Leah, I understand you're upset about what happened with Jared and Vanessa. Families have disagreements. There's no reason to allow personal matters to interfere with a good business decision.””
I stared at him.
“You're here to buy my land.””
“I'm here to make you an offer.””
“I've already seen Thomas's letters. He rejected your previous offers.””
Richard sighed.
“Thomas was stubborn.””
“He said the land wasn't for sale.””
“Thomas is no longer here to make decisions.””
The words landed like a slap.
Margaret stepped forward.
“Mr. Whitmore, Leah is the legal owner. Any discussion concerning the estate must go through her attorney.””
Richard barely glanced at her.
“Margaret. Still playing gatekeeper, I see.””
“Still trying to buy what isn't yours?”” she replied.
His expression hardened.
I had never seen anyone speak to Richard like that.
He looked back at me.
“I'll make this simple. I can offer you thirty million dollars for the entire mountain property, including the surrounding land interests.””
My knees nearly weakened.
Thirty million.
It was an unimaginable amount of money.
Enough to buy several houses.
Enough to live comfortably for generations.
Enough to never worry about anything again.
But I remembered Thomas's handwritten warning.
Don't sell the land.
I looked at Richard.
“No.””
He blinked.
“You haven't even considered it.””
“I don't need to.””
“Leah, that's a life-changing amount of money.””
“My life has already changed.””
He studied me for several seconds.
Then he pulled a document from his briefcase.
“Perhaps this will help you reconsider.””
He placed it on the coffee table.
I glanced down.
It was a development proposal.
A luxury resort with hotels, restaurants, private villas, a golf course, and a shopping complex.
The projected investment exceeded two hundred million dollars.
I looked at the map.
The proposed resort covered much of the valley.
The lodge sat directly in the center.
“You want to build all this?””
“It's an extraordinary opportunity. Hundreds of jobs. Infrastructure improvements. Tourism revenue.””
“And the forest?””
“Some clearing would be necessary.””
“The lake?””
“Part of the development plan.””
I looked at the blue area marked on the map.
A massive section of the shoreline would become private resort property.
“Thomas refused because of this?””
Richard folded his arms.
“Thomas had sentimental attachments to the land.””
“He loved it.””
“Love doesn't create economic value.””
I looked toward the windows.
The mountains rose behind the lake, covered in dark green trees.
Thomas had spent years protecting this place.
I suddenly understood why.
“You're not getting it,” I said.
Richard's expression tightened.
“What?””
“I don't care how much money you offer.””
He gave a short, irritated laugh.
“You've been here less than twenty-four hours. You don't even know what you own.””
“Perhaps.””
“You have no experience running an estate this size.””
“Then I'll hire people who do.””
“That's expensive.””
“I can afford it.””
He stared at me.
Then he leaned forward.
“Leah, let's stop pretending. Your son is in financial trouble. His business is exposed. If you refuse to cooperate, those problems won't disappear.””
My heart began pounding.
“Are you threatening my son?””
“I'm explaining reality.””
“Did you give Jared the money?””
Richard's face remained expressionless.
“That's between me and my business associates.””
“Did you tell him to use my husband's property as collateral?””
He straightened.
“Your son came to me. I didn't force him to do anything.””
Margaret stepped closer.
“We have copies of the loan documents, Mr. Whitmore. Any attempt to interfere with Leah's ownership will be documented.””
Richard smiled.
“I'm not interfering with anything.””
Then he turned toward me.
“I'm simply trying to prevent a family disaster.””
I folded my arms.
“Then stop calling my son.””
For the first time, his expression became genuinely angry.
“You don't understand what you're getting yourself into.””
I met his eyes.
“Perhaps you should explain it.””
He picked up his briefcase.
“You have seventy-two hours to reconsider my offer.””
“I don't need seventy-two seconds.””
He walked toward the door.
Then stopped.
“One more thing, Leah.””
I waited.
“Vanessa is very upset about what happened with you and Jared. She believes you left the family under difficult circumstances.””
I almost laughed.
“She asked me to leave.””
“That's her version.””
“It's also the truth.””
Richard adjusted his coat.
“Families have complicated relationships. I would hate to see this become something ugly.””
He stepped outside.
Daniel closed the door behind him.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Margaret picked up the development proposal.
“Thirty million is a substantial offer.””
I looked at her.
“Would you take it?””
She shook her head.
“Thomas wouldn't.””
“That's not what I asked.””
Margaret studied me.
“If you want my honest opinion, the offer is far below the property's potential value. And it doesn't account for the conservation agreements.””
I frowned.
“What conservation agreements?””
She walked toward the desk and opened another folder.
“Your husband established a private conservation foundation. It protects several portions of the mountain corridor.””
I looked at the document.
“Who owns the foundation?””
“You do. It's included in the inheritance.””
I sat down.
“Why would Thomas do that?””
“Because he didn't want the land destroyed after his death.””
She turned another page.
There were maps showing protected forests, water sources, and wildlife habitats.
Then I noticed a separate section.
It listed several families living on neighboring properties.
Their names were accompanied by monthly payment records.
“What are these payments?””
“Your husband supported several local families. Some worked for the estate. Others maintained the surrounding trails and protected the watershed.””
I looked at the amounts.
Thousands of dollars every month.
“Are they still being paid?””
“Until now, yes. But your husband's estate administrator needs your authorization to continue the arrangements.””
I thought about the people living in the mountains.
People I had never met.
People whose livelihoods might depend on this property.
I looked at Daniel.
“Can we arrange a meeting with them?””
“Of course.””
Margaret smiled faintly.
“I think Thomas would have liked that.””
My phone vibrated again.
A message from Vanessa.
*I heard you're staying at Dad's favorite property. We need to talk. Jared says you're making things difficult. Please don't embarrass the family by turning this into a legal mess.*
I read it twice.
Then another message appeared.
*Also, Dad says you should know that the property has a serious legal problem. If you don't sign the documents soon, you could lose everything.*
I looked at Margaret.
“Is there a legal problem?””
She frowned.
“Not that I'm aware of.””
I showed her the message.
She read it carefully.
Then she looked toward Daniel.
“Did anyone access the property records yesterday?””
Daniel nodded.
“An external document request came through the estate's old management portal.””
“Who submitted it?””
Daniel checked his tablet.
His face changed.
“Mrs. Bennett…”
“What?””
“The request was made using a login that belonged to Thomas.””
Margaret took the tablet.
She studied the screen.
Then she whispered something that made my blood run cold.
“That account was supposed to have been permanently disabled after his death.””
I looked at the screen.
There was a timestamp.
The request had been submitted at 2:17 that morning.
From inside the estate.
And attached to it was a document requesting a transfer of ownership.
May you like
The signature at the bottom looked exactly like my husband's.
Except Thomas had been dead for three months.
