Chapter 8 - The Trust Executed
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Two days later, still recovering from the emergency surgery in my hospital bed, I met with my personal estate attorney. He brought the three heavy, complex legal documents I had requested, along with a hospital notary.
I carefully signed the first document, officially and permanently removing every single member of the Bellacourt family from any management or operational role within the vineyard, citing the indisputable evidence of their criminal conduct as explicitly outlined in the trust agreement Victoria had foolishly never read.
I signed the second document, completely and permanently terminating Evan’s access to all marital, trust, and business accounts. I froze him out of the empire entirely.
The third document was the most crucial. I authorized the immediate, aggressive sale of the massive Bellacourt estate and all its assets. However, I explicitly stipulated that all back wages owed to the employees, all outstanding state and federal taxes, and all legitimate creditors must be paid in full before the Bellacourt family received a single, solitary cent of whatever remained.
Given the massive debt they had accrued, I knew there would be absolutely nothing left for them.
Just as the notary stamped the final page, my cell phone rang. It was an authorized call coming directly from the county jail.
I answered it and put it on speakerphone so my attorney could hear.
"Claire," Victoria’s voice spat through the receiver, sounding haggard and frantic, completely stripped of her usual aristocratic polish. "My lawyer just told me what you did with the trust. You cannot do this! You cannot take our family name from us! The vineyard is our legacy!"
"I’m not taking your precious name, Victoria," I replied calmly, leaning back against my hospital pillows.
"Then reverse the order!" she demanded.
May you like
"No," I said softly. "I’m simply returning absolutely everything that your name currently owes to the people you stole it from. Enjoy the prison food."
I hung up the phone and blocked the number from the county facility. The Bellacourt reign was officially over.
