Then they were gone—walking out arm in arm, whispering, laughing, free of me. Their perfume and arrogance lingered long after the door closed. I sat still, staring at the ink drying beside my name. That was the moment I thought my story had ended.
But sometimes life waits for you to fall apart before it begins again.
The Phone Call That Changed Everything
Still, something deep inside told me to answer.
“Ms. Emma Hayes?” a calm voice said. “This is David Lin, attorney with Lin & McCallister. I’m sorry to disturb you, but I have urgent news regarding your great-uncle, Mr. Charles Whitmore.”
The name froze me in place. Charles Whitmore. A man I hadn’t spoken to since I was a teenager. My parents used to talk about him—brilliant, stubborn, wealthy beyond measure—but after they passed, contact with that side of the family had simply disappeared.
“I’m afraid he passed away last week,” David continued gently. “But he named you as his sole heir.”
My breath caught. “I think you have the wrong person.”
“No mistake,” he said. “Mr. Whitmore left you his entire estate, including ownership of Whitmore Industries.”
For a long moment, I couldn’t speak. “Whitmore Industries? The energy corporation?”
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