Chapter 2 - The Matriarch's Call
I sat up in bed, the warm Italian breeze suddenly feeling like ice against my skin.
Marcus stirred next to me, his hand resting gently on my waist.
"Stole?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I do not use words lightly, Amanda," Eleanor said smoothly over the line.
"Your mother led my family to believe that Stephanie was the sole heir to your grandfather's estate."
My stomach dropped into a bottomless pit.
My grandfather had passed away three years ago, leaving behind a modest but meaningful trust fund.
My mother had told me there was nothing left after his medical bills were paid.
"I was told the accounts were empty," I explained to the older woman.
Eleanor let out a dry, humorless chuckle.
"They were empty because someone drained them to pay for a deposit on a vineyard," she revealed.
I felt like the walls of the small villa were closing in on me.
"Why are you telling me this, Mrs. Sterling?" I asked.
"Because the Sterling family trust requires my signature before Derek can access his inheritance," she stated.
"I was supposed to sign those papers tomorrow morning."
I looked over at Marcus, who was now awake and watching me with deep concern.
"I will not release a single cent until I know the full extent of your family's deception," Eleanor continued.
"I need you to come back to San Francisco immediately."
I closed my eyes, desperately wanting to protect the tiny bubble of happiness I had just found.
"I am on my honeymoon, I don't want to play their games anymore," I said firmly.
"This is not a game, Amanda, this is a crime," she corrected me.
"If you do not meet me at my estate on Tuesday, I will hand this over to my lawyers."
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle in the quiet room.
May you like
"If I do that, your mother and sister will go to federal prison."
The line went dead before I could even take another breath.
