Chapter 5

There was thick as smoke anxiety in the room. With his back to me and his hands firmly balled up at his sides, Ethan stood close to the window. Jack, however, stood quietly and collectedly next to a nicely arranged pile of papers on the glossy mahogany table. His lips formed a thin line that I could see, as though he was preparing for the impending storm.

Jack said softly, his tone calm yet circumspect, "I realize this is a tough moment, but we need to go on. It is necessary to read Henry Monroe's will.

With the same ferocity I had witnessed previously, Ethan whirled abruptly, his eyes ablaze. "Tough?" His tone was harsh and low. "It's not even close to being difficult. I'm sitting here with a stranger who claims she has a right to his estate, and my father has been dead for less than two weeks," he said, casting a mocking glare at me. "If I'm not in the mood to hear this nonsense, excuse me."

My will to reply and defend myself was strong, but the words would not come. I was frustrated, but I also felt that I didn't belong here. My throat felt dry. My world wasn't like this one. And yet, here I was, sucked into the thick of everything.

Ignoring Ethan's scream, Jack cleared his throat and started going through the papers in front of him. In a room full of emotion, the sound of fresh paper filling the air seemed small and unimportant.

Jack spoke, maintaining a steady tone as he transitioned into a formal reading of Henry Monroe's final will and testament. "Henry Monroe was of sound mind and body when it was drafted. He has left instructions regarding the distribution of his holdings, assets, and estate."

With my fists clenched in my lap, I sat still in my chair. The remarks had an unreal quality, as though they were said by someone else. The estate of Henry Monroe. I had never met this man; I had never shared in his life, but nevertheless, his name had become mixed up with mine.

Jack went on, carefully describing the will's minor clauses, which included modest bequests to friends and relatives and charitable contributions. As I felt Ethan's scorching glare on me, I shifted in my seat uneasily. Even though he remained by the window, there was definitely tension in the air.

The section of the will that I had been dreading was reached by Jack.

"To Emily Clark, Henry Monroe has left a substantial portion of his personal assets, including a financial inheritance and holdings in several of his companies," Jack said in a calm, methodical manner.

The words hung in the atmosphere like a gut punch. I blink as my thoughts race to make sense of what I had just heard. a substantial portion? financial inheritance? How could Henry Monroe have left me anything at all, much less something of this magnitude?

Ethan responded right away.

"What?" he exclaimed, his voice a mixture of incredulity and rage. With his eyes fixed on Jack, he stepped forward. "You're telling me that my father gave her a share of his fortune? A lady he'd never even met?"

Jack remained unfazed. "Ethan, the will is clear. Your father set aside certain funds for Ms. Clark."

"I accept the will as it is!" Ethan spoke up, then interrupted. With furious flashes in his eyes, he turned to face me. "I'm curious as to why. How are you related to my father? And don't act as though you don't know; I won't believe you."

Getting out of my chair, my heart was pounding. "I'm not sure!" With a trembling voice, I exclaimed. "I already told you that but you would not listen!. I did not know any Henry Monroe. It was just a few days ago that I even knew his name."

Ethan's hands clenched, and I had a fleeting fear that he would blow up. Instead, he shook his head in amazement and let out a loud chuckle. "So we're meant to think that my father, a man who did everything in his power to protect his wealth and legacy, just went ahead and left a stranger a piece of his fortune? with absolutely no purpose at all?"

I took a deep breath trying not to cry. "I'm not sure why he did it. But none of this was requested of me. Like you, I'm simply trying to figure things out."

Ethan paced toward the window, his jaw clenching as he turned his back on me once more. Under his suit jacket, I could feel his stiff shoulder muscles and his barely controlled rage. I cast a quick glance at Jack in the hopes that he would intervene, but all he did was stare blankly.

After what seemed like an endless period of stillness, Ethan eventually spoke again in a calm, low voice.

With his back to me, he muttered softly, "I'm not letting this go. I will make sure you don't see a dime of what my father left for you in that will, and I will find out why."

My heart constricted, but I wasn't going to have him scare me. I moved ahead, the tempest inside me roaring, but I kept my voice calm.

"I didn't come here for the money. I needed answers, which is why I came here. like you."

Although Ethan's shoulders stiffened, he remained still. It took everything I had not to give in when I felt the weight of his rage bearing down on the space.

Feeling the tension building, Jack cleared his throat and returned his attention to the papers in front of him. "The will contains more information about how the assets will be distributed," he stated in an impartial tone. "But I think there's a more urgent issue at hand before we move forward."

At last, Ethan turned to look at us, and his eyes narrowed. "And what's that?"

Jack hesitated, looking from the two of us to himself, and then he spoke slowly. "The justification for Ms. Clark's inclusion in the testament. As I have already stated, the provisions of the will are clear. However, I'm not entirely sure why your father chose to make this choice."

Ethan snorted. "Are you not sure why? Jack, you're his attorney. You took care of all his business. How could you be unaware?"

Even while Jack maintained a composed demeanor, I saw a hint of doubt in his eyes. "Ethan, your father was a private person. Not every choice he made was known to me. There are still some unanswered questions about his life."

I took a step toward the table and scowled. "What is meant by 'unanswered'?"

Jack paused, looking from me to Ethan, then back to the papers in front of him. "Even I was unaware of certain aspects of Henry's life. Some decisions and relationships he made were kept a secret from those closest to him."

Ethan's countenance briefly changed from fury to something else as his eyes darkened. Something more chill. "Jack, what are you not telling me?"

Jack kept his mouth shut, not saying anything. The weight of unresolved questions caused the tension in the room to increase. My heartbeat accelerated, giving me the impression that we were on the brink of something far more significant than either of us had previously recognized.

I looked to Ethan, who was looking at Jack with a puzzled and irritated expression on his face. Whatever the case, money was no longer the only factor. This place had secrets and mysteries that Henry Monroe had buried.

And there I was, in the center of it all.