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Would he have done something like that?
Something always felt like it didn’t add up right from the start between Dad and Knight, but everything else was so bad that I couldn’t conceive what that something might be.
Could it be this?
“What do you think Knight blackmailed my father with? He paid my father’s debts in exchange for Sunset Cove. The only way he could get that is by marrying me.”
“You really believe it was as simple as that?” He quirks a hard brow and looks at me as if I’m so naïve I’d believe pink elephants are zooming across the sky right at this moment.
“What more is there?”
Bastian steeples his fingers on the desk and regards me with keen, observant eyes.
“Months ago, my grandfather announced he was retiring and splitting the main two branches of Grayson Inc. into two separate companies.” He pulls his fingers apart and sits back in my chair. “The flagship company would go to my father, and the other company on Park Avenue, which is just as good as the main, if not better, would be led by two of the three Grayson brothers. One would be CEO and take full leadership, the other would be chief financial officer. It’s an empire waiting to happen, and my grandfather, being the crafty man he is, made us compete for the role, when really he wanted Knight to take control.”
I’ve been completely kept out of all business matters, so this is surprising. I didn’t even know their grandfather was retiring. “Why didn’t your grandfather just give it to him?”
“No, not this time. Not with his precious legacy. He wanted us to earn it and impress him to get it. To impress him, he asked Knight to get Sunset Cove, and that’s what he did. Here’s where you come in, sweetheart. First, Knight got rid of the man set to marry you. Then he twisted your father into a corner so deep there was no way out other than for him to agree to whatever Knight wanted. Your father is your executor, isn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“Here. It’s important that you read this first. It’s a grant of permission letter from your mother to your father in regard to Sunset Cove.” He reaches into the envelope and pulls out what looks like a printout of a handwritten letter then he holds it out for me to take.
I wasn’t aware that anything else existed outside of Mom’s will.
I take the letter from him and read.
It says:
Dearest William,
I am writing this letter to give you additional flexibility in handling the administration of Sunset Cove.
Certain situations may arise where I would prefer for you to handle them with the love and discretion of a parent, as opposed to the matter being decided in court.
This letter gives you full rights and permission to act on Aurora’s behalf in the event of any extenuating circumstances while you remain her executor.
This includes but is not limited to the permission to sell the property and any associated measures in relation to theownership.
Everything else should remain as stated in thewill.
I trust you will always make the right decisions for ourdaughter.
All mylove,
Susana
I’m gripping the letter as if I want to hold on to what would have been part of my mother’s final words. The more I read and re-read, the more the words sink in, and I understand the power this gives my father.
With this letter, he could decide anything for me and bend the rules in extenuating circumstances. I’d say he took his debts to mean exactly that.
“Finished?” Bastian asks with a broken melody to his tone. It sounds like an off-key note on a piano.
“Yes.” My voice is barely audible over the drumming of my heart in my ears.
“Good, now here’s the first punch. Sunset Cove is a nice little investment, especially if you’re going to do it up and sell it to a Russian oligarch looking to spread his wings in the Hamptons.”
“Sell?” The word falls from my lips like a rock hitting the bottom of the ocean. “Knight wouldn’t do that.”
