My whole family laughed when Grandpa’s will gave my cousins millions in cash and houses and gave me nothing but a plane ticket to Riviera, but when I boarded that first-class flight and a flight attendant handed me a sealed envelope with my name on it, the invitation inside made their laughter feel a little too early.
“Jade, what the hell is going on?” he shouted. “Some investigator just said you’re running hotels in Europe.”
I could hear Skylar and my parents arguing in the background.
“I’m exactly where Grandpa sent me,” I said calmly. “And I’m very busy.”
“You stole that money from us!” Luke screamed. “You manipulated him when he was sick!”
I ended the call without answering.
A few days later, Xavier told me my family had hired expensive lawyers to challenge the San Maro holdings. They claimed Samuel had not been mentally sound when he made the transfers.
But the documents were flawless. Medical records from top European doctors proved my grandfather had been fully capable until the end. The transfers had been made years before his illness progressed.
My family arrived in San Maro like an invading army. They checked into a rival hotel and demanded a meeting at the palace. Prince Leopold agreed, though he made it very clear where his support stood.
When I entered the conference room, my parents, aunt, and cousins sat across from me with poisonous expressions.
“You have ten minutes to explain yourself before we file to freeze everything,” my father said.
“There is nothing to explain,” I replied. “Grandpa made these decisions years ago.”
I laid out the documents, dates, signatures, and government witnesses.
Skylar stared at photos of the resorts with horror.
“He wouldn’t leave us out of something this huge!”
“He didn’t leave you out,” I said. “He gave you exactly what matched how you treated him.”
My mother softened her voice.
“We are your family, Jade. You owe it to us to share this.”
I almost laughed. If the situation had been reversed, they would not have given me a cent.
“I owe it to the thousands of employees here to keep this business stable,” I said.
Then I stood and signaled for Xavier to show them out.
The legal battle lasted for months. My family tried everything: tabloid leaks, accusations, threats, and even attempts to bribe hotel staff for information. But the more they attacked me, the more the people of San Maro stood behind me.
Then Isabella brought me a file that changed everything.
During discovery, her team had uncovered years of financial misconduct inside my grandfather’s American firm. My parents and cousins had been secretly siphoning money, hiding losses, and lying to Samuel about the company’s condition.
“Grandpa knew, didn’t he?” I asked quietly.
Isabella nodded.
“He kept records of every dollar. He stayed silent to protect the San Maro assets for you.”
A tear slipped down my face. I finally understood the burden my grandfather had carried alone.
I called one final meeting with my family and their lawyers. This time, I held the power.
I placed the evidence on the table and watched their faces lose color.
“If you drop the lawsuits and leave now, I will not press charges for the money you stole from the American company.”
The room became painfully quiet.
“You wouldn’t send your own parents to prison, would you?” my father whispered.
I looked at him and realized I did not want revenge.
