Chapter 2 - The Signature After Claire Died
Ethan checked the date again.
Claire had died on March 18.
One document was dated April 6.
Nineteen days later.
Yet Claire Carter’s signature appeared at the bottom.
Ethan looked at Corinne.
“She was dead.”
Corinne said nothing.
“She was dead when this was signed.”
“I can explain.”
“You told me not to read it.”
“I panicked.”
“Why?”
Corinne glanced toward Maisie.
Ethan immediately moved between them.
“Don’t look at her. Look at me.”
Corinne swallowed.
“Claire had an attorney.”
“I know.”
“She prepared things without telling you.”
“What things?”
“I don’t know everything.”
Ethan held up the papers.
“You knew enough to hide these.”
Corinne’s voice cracked.
“I was trying to protect this family.”
Ethan almost laughed.
Behind him, Maisie began crying.
He picked her up.
The stuffed rabbit remained trapped between them.
Then he called the only person he trusted with the documents.
Daniel Ross.
Claire’s former estate attorney.
Daniel arrived forty minutes later.
He took one look at the first page and stopped smiling.
“Where did you get this?”
“My cabinet.”
Daniel looked at Corinne.
“Who put it there?”
Silence.
Ethan answered for her.
“She did.”
Daniel separated the documents into two piles.
“These are genuine.”
Ethan pointed toward the second pile.
“And those?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Claire’s signature?”
“Some look right.”
“Some?”
Daniel examined the April document.
“This one doesn’t.”
Corinne stepped forward.
“You can’t determine that by looking at it.”
Daniel glanced at her.
“You’re right.”
That brief victory relaxed her.
Then Daniel added:
“But Claire couldn’t have signed it nineteen days after her funeral.”
Corinne’s expression collapsed.
Daniel continued reviewing.
Claire had established a trust for Maisie.
Nothing unusual.
But she had also transferred ownership interests from several inherited properties into that trust.
Estimated value:
More than $4 million.
Ethan stared.
“Claire had four million dollars?”
“Her grandmother left her property interests. Claire never cared about the money.”
“Why didn’t I know?”
“She planned to tell you after everything was finalized.”
Ethan looked toward Maisie.
“Everything went to her?”
Daniel nodded.
“Eventually.”
Corinne suddenly said:
“That isn’t what the final amendment says.”
Silence.
Ethan slowly turned.
Daniel did too.
Corinne realized her mistake.
Ethan whispered:
“How do you know there was a final amendment?”
She backed up.
“I saw it.”
“Where?”
“I don’t remember.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“I never sent you Claire’s estate documents.”
Corinne said nothing.
Then Daniel pulled out another page.
The post-death amendment attempted to replace Maisie’s independent trustee.
The proposed replacement was someone Ethan knew.
Someone he had trusted for years.
Corinne’s older brother.
Nathan Mercer.
Ethan looked up.
May you like
“Why the hell is your brother’s name on my daughter’s trust?”
👉 Corinne claimed she was protecting the family—but the forged amendment tried to put her own brother in control of millions belonging to Maisie.
