Chapter 11 - Greed Over Caution
Celia leaned back in her chair, a look of sublime, toxic satisfaction sweeping across her face. She smoothed down her white designer jacket and smirked across the table at me.
"It's over," Celia declared smugly. "You lost, Elise. Grant's legacy is officially ours. Now, hand over the master keys to the residential estate and the primary access codes for his corporate accounts."
I didn't flinch. I slowly picked up my glass of water, took a measured sip, and looked at Naomi.
Naomi opened a thick black binder that had been resting beneath her desk.
"Let the record reflect," Naomi said calmly, "that on this date, Celia and Bernard Holloway have legally assumed absolute ownership of the Estate of Grant Holloway."
"Yes, yes, we just signed the paper," Celia said dismissively, waving her hand. "Stop talking and give us the access."
"Let us review your new assets," David Quinn announced, opening his laptop and projecting his screen onto the massive monitor mounted on the conference wall.
Celia and Bernard looked up at the screen, expecting to see millions of dollars in corporate stock and offshore bank balances.
Instead, a giant red ledger appeared.
ESTATE OF GRANT HOLLOWAY: VERIFIED FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Primary Residential Estate: $0.00 (Property held exclusively under the Rowan Private Trust pre-dating marriage; zero estate equity).
Northstar Metrics Equity: $0.00 (Corporate holdings restructured via postnuptial agreement; zero estate equity).
Checking & Savings Balances: -$84,210.00 (Overdrawn).
Offshore Holdings (Grand Cayman): -$218,000.00 (Negative balance due to defaulted credit lines).
Celia’s smile froze. The color drained from her face so fast she looked like a ghost.
"What... what is this?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "This is a trick. Where is his company stock?"
"Grant owned no stock in Northstar Metrics," Naomi explained smoothly. "He signed a legally binding postnuptial agreement three years ago renouncing all corporate equity."
"And the house?" Bernard roared, standing up so violently his chair crashed back against the wall. "The house in the hills!"
"The house belongs entirely to my private trust," I said, my voice cold and calm. "Grant was a resident, not an owner."
"You lied to us!" Celia shrieked, slamming her fists onto the glass table. "You stole his money!"
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"Keep looking at the screen, Celia," I said gently. "We're just getting to the part you actually inherited."
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