Chapter 10: The Estate in Her Name
Arthur Greer was seventy-one years old, semi-retired, and had been Robert Vance's personal attorney for twenty-six years.
He answered on the second ring.
"Miss Vance," he said, before Elena had given her name.
"I've been expecting your call.
I heard about last night.
I'm very glad you're safe."
Elena's hand tightened slightly around the phone.
"You knew about the trust."
"I set it up with your father.
Two years ago, as he was beginning to understand the direction of his illness." His voice was careful and warm.
"He was very clear about what he wanted.
He was also very clear that you were not to be told until you needed to know.
He didn't want the knowledge to change how you moved through the family.
He wanted you to be — his word — unencumbered."
Elena looked out the car window at the passing road.
"What's in the trust?"
"The eastern resort properties.
Three operating facilities in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Combined current valuation is approximately fourteen million dollars." A brief pause.
"There is also a personal letter attached to the trust documentation.
Separate from the one you received last night.
He wrote two."
Elena closed her eyes.
"When can I come to Burlington?"
"Whenever you're ready.
There's no urgency — the trust has been protected and properly filed.
Nothing can touch it." Another pause.
"Miss Vance, your father spoke about you often in those last two years.
He was very proud of you.
He wanted me to tell you that, when the time came."
Elena didn't answer immediately.
I kept my eyes on the road and gave her the silence.
"Thank you, Mr.
Greer," she said finally.
"I'll call you tomorrow to arrange a time."
She lowered the phone.
We drove for a while without speaking.
"Fourteen million," she said eventually.
Not with excitement.
With something quieter.
"Your father built something real," I said.
"He built it for me." She turned to look at me.
"He built it and kept it secret and trusted that I would find it when I needed it." Her voice was steady.
"I didn't know him as well as I thought I did."
"You knew the part he showed you," I said.
"The rest was protection."
She thought about that.
"Like you."
I didn't answer right away.
"Elena," I said.
"We need to talk about what you saw at the hospital.
The tattoo.
What Julian said."
"I know."
"Not today.
But soon."
"I know," she said again.
She looked back out the window.
"I've known something was different about you for a long time, Elias.
I didn't ask because I didn't want to lose what we had." She paused.
"I'm asking now.
When we get home.
I want to know everything."
"You'll have it," I said.
"Everything."
She nodded once.
Outside, the road curved through bare winter trees, the sky pale and cold and very clear above them.
We reached the house — our house, the one we had rented in town, not the estate — and I pulled into the driveway.
Elena sat for a moment before opening the door.
"Elias."
"Yes."
"Thank you for the bracelet." She said it simply, without drama.
"Thank you for coming."
"There was never a version of tonight where I didn't come," I said.
May you like
She looked at me for a long moment.
Then she opened the door and got out, and I followed her inside.
