Chapter 4 - The Trust
Arthur demanded to know why midnight mattered.
Claire answered.
“My mother’s trust.”
The Ashford Family Trust controlled forty-eight percent of Vale-Ashford Investments, several historic properties and a housing portfolio worth billions.
If Claire died, her voting shares transferred to her husband after a thirty-day waiting period.
Unless a memorial declaration was signed by the family patriarch in front of qualified witnesses.
Tonight’s guests included board members, attorneys and investors.
Arthur was supposed to sign the declaration at midnight.
Daniel would gain immediate control.
Arthur stared at the memorial papers waiting beside his champagne glass.
“You invited me here to sign away her company.”
“I invited you to honor your daughter.”
“You knew she was alive.”
Daniel’s silence answered.
Claire explained that she discovered Daniel was preparing to sell twelve Ashford-owned apartment buildings.
The buildings housed housekeepers, hotel employees, retired drivers and widowed service workers at protected rents.
Daniel called them underperforming properties.
Claire called them promises her mother had made.
When she refused the sale, Daniel began documenting her as unstable.
He canceled meetings.
Forwarded her messages to attorneys.
Told directors pregnancy loss and grief had damaged her judgment.
Then he removed her from public view.
Leah looked at Daniel.
“You planned to call thousands of people homeless while asking guests to donate in Claire’s memory.”
Daniel replied coldly:
“The land is worth more than the tenants.”
May you like
Claire’s eyes filled.
“That is why you needed me dead.”
