Chapter 9 - THE REAL WILL
Police accompanied us to Eleanor’s apartment.
By the time we arrived, everyone was gone.
But they had left something behind.
A photocopy of the original will.
Daniel read it first.
Then he handed it to me.
My father had not left controlling ownership of the company to me.
He had divided it equally between Julian and me.
Fifty percent each.
The version filed in probate gave me seventy-five percent.
Julian received twenty-five.
I stared at the document.
“Why?”
Daniel pointed to the witness signatures.
Gerald Knox.
Eleanor Vance.
My mother and Gerald had altered the will.
But changing the shares in my favor made no sense.
Unless they had expected to control me.
I remembered my mother’s words.
Sebastian signs whatever I put in front of him.
She had believed I would become the easier son to manipulate.
Julian had always been rebellious.
I had always been responsible.
Grateful.
Obedient.
My success had made me harder to control than she expected.
Daniel looked at me.
“If the original will is authentic, Julian may own half of the original company assets.”
“Vance Logistics is much larger now.”
“Yes.”
“But his claim could still be worth hundreds of millions.”
I did not hesitate.
“Then he gets what is legally his.”
Daniel studied me.
“That may dilute your control.”
“It was never mine to take.”
That evening, Julian finally called.
His voice sounded exhausted.
“Did you see the will?”
“Yes.”
“Mom says you knew.”
“I didn’t.”
“She says Dad told you.”
“She is lying.”
“How do I know?”
“You don’t.”
Silence.
So I said the only thing I could.
“Ask for an independent forensic examination.”
“What?”
“Of both wills.”
“I’ll pay for it.”
“You choose the expert.”
“No one connected to me.”
“If the original is real, I will honor it.”
He said nothing.
Then I heard my mother’s voice in the background.
“He’s lying.”
I closed my eyes.
“Julian.”
“I need time.”
“Take it.”
“But do not sign anything.”
Another pause.
“Why?”
“Because Mom has been using signatures for years.”
The call ended.
Two days later, the forensic examiner confirmed it.
The will in the safe deposit box was authentic.
The probate version had been altered.
Gerald’s office equipment had produced the replacement pages.
That was enough for investigators to open a fraud case.
But the bigger surprise came from the financial audit.
My mother had not only altered the inheritance.
She had used my father’s old trust to borrow money.
Millions.
May you like
And the collateral listed on those loans was something she did not own.
Shares of my company.
