Chapter 3: The Signature Lucas Could Not Deny
Florence leaned close to Lucas.
“Ask your brother who signed the land away in 2017.”
Lucas stared at her.
“Say that louder.”
Florence turned toward the guests.
“Lucas signed the first agreement.
We have his signature, his identification, and the bank record.”
“That agreement expired after ninety days,” Lucas said.
Christopher opened the leather folder again.
“Not according to this.”
He held up a document bearing Lucas’s signature.
The date at the top was seven years old, but a paragraph on the final page said the option remained valid until the property was transferred.
“That paragraph wasn’t there,” Lucas said.
“You signed every page,” Florence replied.
“Are you calling yourself a liar or a fool?”
Samuel gripped the back of a chair.
“What agreement?”
Lucas looked at our father.
“You needed surgery.
Insurance refused part of the bill, and the bank wouldn’t lend us enough.”
“You told us your company paid it.”
“My company didn’t exist yet.”
Josephine covered her mouth.
“Lucas, where did the money come from?”
“Florence’s husband offered a short-term loan.
The land was security for ninety days.
I repaid it before the deadline.”
Florence tapped the document.
“Then prove it.”
Lucas pulled receipts from his envelope.
“Here are the transfers.”
Christopher barely glanced at them.
“These prove you sent money.
They don’t prove the option ended.”
I turned to him.
“You knew about this before you proposed?”
“I knew your family had unresolved paperwork.”
“You filed a claim three weeks before asking me to marry you.”
“I was protecting our future.”
“You mean your future.”
Christopher stepped closer.
“Marry me, sign the agreement, and this remains a private family misunderstanding.”
“And if I refuse?”
Florence lifted her glass.
“The claim proceeds.
Your parents could lose the land—and everything tied to it.”
Samuel’s knees bent, and Lucas caught his arm.
“What does she mean by everything?” I asked.
Lucas looked down.
“Dad’s house was listed as secondary security on the original application.”
Josephine seized his sleeve.
“You put our home into this?”
“I removed it when I repaid the loan.”
Florence smiled.
“Apparently, you didn’t.”
My father looked directly at me.
“Giselle, your brother did what I asked him to do.”
“You knew?”
“I knew he was borrowing money.
I told him not to burden you.
You were nineteen and about to begin college.”
My hand went to the table.
The room tilted, and my mother rushed forward.
“Sit down, sweetheart.”
“No.” I pulled out a chair for her instead.
“You sit.
You’ve stood enough today.”
The man with the leather folder lowered his eyes.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“Daniel Price.
I represent Christopher’s company.”
“Did you prepare that document?”
“I prepared the version in the folder.”
Christopher turned sharply.
“Daniel, that is all she needs to know.”
Daniel closed the folder.
As he passed me, a folded card dropped beside my hand.
Christopher was watching Lucas, so I covered it with my bouquet ribbon.
May you like
Four words had been written inside:
I saw him replace page four.
