Chapter 2 - The Will of Arthur Vance
Mr. Harlan adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses, his expression calm and unbothered by Caleb’s glaring hostility.
“I will read the executive summary of the primary codicil,” Mr. Harlan announced, turning slightly to address the entire chapel.
“I, Arthur Vance, being of sound mind and fully aware of the parasites surrounding my family, hereby execute this final amendment to my estate.”
A sharp gasp echoed through the front rows. Caleb froze, his shoulders going rigid.
“To my son-in-law, Caleb Vance,” Mr. Harlan continued reading, “I leave my deepest gratitude. For five years, you played the devoted husband while quietly transferring small tranches of shell-company assets into off-shore accounts in Grand Cayman under the name 'Vanguard Holdings.' Your arrogance was my greatest intelligence tool.”
Vanessa let go of Caleb’s hand instantly, taking a sharp step backward. Caleb’s face drained of all color, turning a pasty, sickly gray.
“That’s a lie!” Caleb blurted out, stepping toward the attorney. “This is a setup! Eleanor forged this!”
“Silence, Mr. Vance,” Mr. Harlan said coldly, not even looking up from the paper. “I am reading an official legal instrument notarized by three supreme court justices.”
He cleared his throat and resumed reading:
“As of 8:00 AM this morning, prior to the commencement of this service, all voting shares of Vance Global—totaling fifty-two percent—have not been passed to my daughter, nor to Caleb. They have been transferred into an irrevocable trust.”
Caleb let out a breath, a faint glimpse of relief washing over his feature. “A trust. Good. As her husband, I sit on the board of trustees—”
“The sole trustee,” Mr. Harlan interrupted sharply, “with absolute executive authority over Vance Global, the board of directors, and all liquid assets, is my unborn granddaughter, represented exclusively by her mother, Eleanor Vance, until the child reaches thirty years of age.”
The chapel erupted into murmurs.
Caleb looked as if he had been slapped across the face. “What? She can’t run a billion-dollar conglomerate! She’s eight months pregnant! She’s mentally unstable!”
“Furthermore,” Mr. Harlan said, his voice dropping into a deadly register, “Arthur Vance’s personal codicil specifies that any attempt by Caleb Vance to challenge this trust, seek a divorce settlement involving corporate assets, or alter the prenuptial agreement will trigger Clause 9B. Clause 9B immediately calls in the forty-million-dollar personal loan advanced to Caleb Vance’s independent firm, Apex Media, payable within twenty-four hours.”
Caleb swayed on his feet. The blood had completely drained from his lips.
Forty million dollars. That was the debt he had secretly run up to fund his lavish lifestyle with Vanessa, believing he would pay it off the moment my father died and he inherited Vance Global.
Vanessa turned to Caleb, her eyes wide with panic. “Caleb... what is he talking about? You said you owned Apex outright!”
Caleb didn't answer her. He stared at me, his eyes wide with a terrifying mixture of rage, disbelief, and horror.
I leaned in, stepping closer to him just as he had done to me minutes earlier. I looked down at his trembling hand, then up into his frantic eyes.
“You thought my father was dying in that hospital room alone, Caleb,” I whispered, my voice cold as ice. “He wasn't dying. He was watching your offshore transfers. He signed this three days ago.”
“Eleanor... honey, listen to me,” Caleb stammered, his voice dropping an octave as he tried to put on his manipulative, charm-offensive tone. “We can talk about this. I was just... I was under so much stress. Vanessa means nothing to me. It’s a misunderstanding—”
“Get out of my father’s funeral,” I said, loud enough for the first three rows to hear clearly.
“Eleanor, don't do this here—”
“Security!” I called out calmly.
Four massive men in dark suits, men who had protected my father for twenty years, stepped out from the side doors of the chapel. They moved with military precision, surrounding Caleb and Vanessa before Caleb could even take another breath.
“Please escort Mr. Vance and Miss Blake off the premises,” I instructed. “They are trespassing on Vance family property.”
“You can’t do this to me!” Vanessa shrieked as a security guard took her firmly by the elbow. “Let go of me! Do you know who I am?”
“You’re fired, Vanessa,” I said without looking at her. “Effective thirty seconds ago.”
Caleb violently pulled his arm away from the guard, pointing a shaking finger at my face. “You think you’ve won, Eleanor? You’re alone! You’re pregnant, you’re weak, and the board will never follow a woman who spends her afternoon in a delivery room! I will tear Vance Global apart from the inside before I let you have it!”
“Try it,” I replied quietly.
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As the guards dragged them down the aisle under the scathing glares of New York's highest society, I turned back to my father’s coffin. I laid a single white rose on the polished wood.
The battle had started. And I had no intention of losing.
