She looked around the room, stunned by the quiet rebellion.
Daniel smiled grimly.
“Carl contacted every employee you underpaid, threatened, or forced to sign a silence agreement. Apparently, the list was extensive.”
Carl’s recorded voice continued.
“The Bennett estate was never merely land. Claire, beneath the northern ridge is not a mineral fortune.”
I looked at Daniel.
He seemed equally surprised.
“The geological reports Lenora obtained were fabricated by your grandfather. He wanted anyone driven by greed to believe the ridge was valuable.”
Lenora shook her head.
“No.”
“The true inheritance lies beneath this house.”
For the first time, fear appeared in her eyes.
Carl explained that Vale House had once been the Bellmere Sanatorium, built by Lenora’s grandfather. During renovations, workers discovered sealed rooms filled with company ledgers, correspondence, and financial records dating back generations.
The Vale family had hidden evidence of illegal land seizures, bribery, and fraudulent debts.
