When Catherine died, the sole executorship of that trust passed entirely to me.
The estate was worth roughly $42 million, including a massive commercial real estate portfolio in downtown Philadelphia. And according to the original terms I had drawn up with our family lawyer six months ago, the entirety of it was scheduled to be transferred into a joint marital trust for Sophie and her new husband upon the verification of their marriage certificate.
Jasper wasn’t just a corporate lawyer; he was an opportunist. He had accidentally stumbled upon a whisper of the Vance lineage during his firm’s research a year ago. That was the real reason he had pursued my daughter so aggressively. He knew about the hidden wealth. He just assumed I was a foolish old man who didn’t know what he was sitting on, someone who could be easily intimidated and pushed out of the picture.
I checked my watch. It was 11:30 PM.
Suddenly, a loud, aggressive pounding echoed through my front door. The deadbolt rattled violently.
