Chapter 9 - THE WOMAN MY GRANDMOTHER CONFRONTED
I read the note twice.
Then a third time.
My grandmother had known about the property scheme before she died.
Or at least, she had suspected something serious enough to confront Valentina directly.
The note was dated six months before her death.
It was brief.
Grandma demanded that Valentina stop involving my property in her family's financial arrangements.
She warned that any attempt to use my name or signature without permission would be reported.
At the bottom, she had written:
My granddaughter has given your family enough. You will not take her home.
I pressed the paper against my chest.
For years, I had believed my grandmother disliked Valentina because their personalities clashed.
Grandma was independent.
Valentina was demanding.
Grandma believed money should be earned and managed carefully.
Valentina believed family members with resources should always help those without them.
But now I understood their conflict had been about something much more serious.
Grandma had been protecting me.
Even when I didn't know I needed protection.
I called Victoria.
She asked me to photograph the note and preserve the original envelope.
Then she said:
"We need to determine how that copy ended up in Liza's album."
I looked at my daughter.
She sat quietly, watching me.
"Do you remember when Grandma Valentina gave you the album?"
"Christmas morning."
"Did she say anything unusual?"
Liza frowned.
"She said I should keep it somewhere safe."
"Anything else?"
She thought for a moment.
"She said sometimes old pictures tell stories people don't want to remember."
I stared at her.
That sounded nothing like Valentina.
Valentina rarely spoke in sentimental phrases.
She preferred practical instructions and pointed criticism.
"Was anyone else there?"
"Dad. Aunt Irina. Grandma."
"Did Aunt Irina touch the album?"
Liza nodded.
"She wrapped it."
A possibility formed in my mind.
What if Irina had hidden the note?
What if she had wanted someone to find it?
That evening, I received a phone call from Irina.
I almost ignored it.
Then I answered.
"What do you want?"
Her voice was quiet.
"Can we meet?"
"Why?"
"Because there's something I need to tell you."
I glanced toward Liza's room.
"Tell me now."
"No. Not over the phone."
I hesitated.
"Then meet me at Victoria's office."
Irina immediately objected.
"No lawyers."
"Then we have nothing to discuss."
There was a long silence.
Finally, she whispered:
"Fine. Your lawyer can be there."
The following afternoon, Irina arrived at Victoria's office wearing jeans and a plain black sweater.
She looked nothing like the confident woman who had sat in my living room demanding my inheritance.
Her face was pale.
Her eyes were swollen.
She sat across from me and twisted a tissue between her fingers.
"I put the note in Liza's album," she said.
I stared at her.
"Why?"
"Because I was afraid Mom would find it."
"Where did you get it?"
"Grandma Yelena sent Mom a letter. Mom tore it up, but I had already copied it."
I leaned forward.
"Why would you keep a copy?"
Irina's eyes filled with tears.
"Because I knew what we were doing was wrong."
I felt anger rise inside me.
"You knew?"
She nodded.
"About the business. The money. The property document."
"And you said nothing?"
"I was scared."
"Of what?"
She looked down.
"Of losing my mother. My brother. Everything."
I stared at her.
"Margaret Ellis lost her retirement savings. Other people lost money they worked decades to earn. I nearly lost my home."
Irina began crying.
"I know."
"No, Irina. I don't think you do."
She covered her face.
For a moment, I wanted to walk out.
But Victoria gently asked:
"What did you come here to tell us?"
Irina took a shaky breath.
"Mom didn't start Harbor Crest."
I frowned.
"What?"
"She helped move the money, but someone else created the company."
"Who?"
Irina looked at me.
Then at Victoria.
Her voice dropped.
"A man named Daniel Mercer."
I had never heard the name.
Victoria wrote it down.
"What was his role?"
"He was supposed to arrange investors and suppliers. He convinced us the business could grow quickly."
"And what happened?"
Irina swallowed.
"He controlled the financial reports. He told us where to send the money. When investors started asking questions, he threatened to expose everyone."
I stared at her.
"Did your mother know the money was being diverted?"
Irina nodded.
"Eventually. She helped him because she thought he could keep us out of trouble."
"And Sergey?"
"He knew something was wrong, but he didn't know everything at first."
I looked away.
I didn't know whether to believe her.
But then Irina said something unexpected.
"Daniel Mercer has been asking about your grandmother's inheritance since before she died."
My heart began pounding.
"Why?"
Irina reached into her bag.
She removed a printed email.
At the top was Daniel Mercer's name.
The subject line read:
VOLKOV FAMILY ASSET RECOVERY
May you like
The message contained a sentence that made my blood run cold.
"Once Natalya receives the inheritance, pressure Sergey to secure the funds before she discovers the property authorization."
