Chapter 6: The Guardian Nobody Expected
Julian read the document twice.
Then he looked at his mother.
“Why was Celeste listed as Poppy's guardian?””
Evelyn adjusted the pearls around her neck.
“Claire wanted to make arrangements in case something happened to her.””
“She was going to appoint my wife?””
“At the time, Celeste was not your wife.””
Julian looked at the date.
Three days before Claire died.
His throat tightened.
“Celeste and I hadn't even met.””
Evelyn said nothing.
Julian turned toward his wife.
“Did you know Claire?””
Celeste's face was pale.
“No.””
“Did you ever speak to her?””
“No.””
“Then why is your name on this document?””
Celeste glanced at Evelyn.
“I don't know.””
Julian picked up the paper.
“Your name, your date of birth, and your signature are here.””
Celeste swallowed.
“I said I don't know.””
Evelyn stepped forward.
“Julian, there is an explanation.””
“Then give it to me.””
His mother sighed.
“Claire was concerned about your ability to raise Poppy alone.””
Julian stared at her.
“What?””
“You were grieving. You were working constantly. She worried that you would become overwhelmed.””
“So she chose a woman she had never met?””
“Claire trusted my judgment.””
Julian gave a short, disbelieving laugh.
“You expect me to believe that?””
Evelyn's face hardened.
“Your wife was a difficult woman, Julian. She could be emotional and irrational.””
“Don't talk about Claire like that.””
“I'm telling you the truth.””
“No. You're telling me what you need me to believe.””
He placed the document on the table.
“Who prepared this?””
Evelyn didn't answer.
“Who prepared it?””
“Your family attorney.””
“Which attorney?””
“Richard Hale.””
Julian knew the name.
Richard had been handling the Whitmore family's legal affairs for more than twenty years.
He immediately called Marcus, his current attorney.
“Marcus, I need you to contact Richard Hale. I want every document connected to Claire's estate and Poppy's guardianship.””
Marcus replied without hesitation.
“I'll start immediately.””
Julian ended the call.
Celeste moved closer.
“Can we talk privately?””
He looked at her.
“We've been talking privately for eight months.””
“I'm your wife.””
“And Poppy is my daughter.””
Celeste's lips tightened.
“You keep using that girl as an excuse to treat me like an enemy.””
Julian stared at her.
“She was hungry. You gave her a metal bowl.””
“I've already explained that.””
“You haven't explained anything.””
Celeste suddenly raised her voice.
“Do you know what it's like living with a child who reminds you every day that she belongs to someone else?””
Julian went completely still.
Evelyn closed her eyes.
Celeste seemed to realize what she had admitted.
But she continued.
“Every room in this house was designed around Claire. Her photographs. Her piano.
Her favorite flowers. Even the furniture! I was expected to live in the shadow of a dead woman.””
Julian's expression turned icy.
“You married me knowing I had a daughter.””
“I thought things would be different.””
“How?””
“I thought she'd grow attached to me. I thought she'd eventually accept me as her mother.””
“She already had a mother.””
Celeste's eyes filled with angry tears.
“And what about me? What am I supposed to be?””
Julian looked at her for a long moment.
“You could have been someone she trusted.””
Celeste looked away.
Instead of answering, she grabbed her handbag.
“I'm leaving.””
“Good.””
She stopped.
“You can't be serious.””
“I'm serious.””
“Where am I supposed to go?””
“That's no longer my responsibility.””
Evelyn stepped between them.
“Julian, enough. Celeste is your wife. You cannot discard her because of one unfortunate incident.””
“One incident?””
Julian pointed toward the document.
“Then explain this one.””
Evelyn's voice dropped.
“You don't understand the circumstances.””
“Then help me understand.””
She looked at the door.
“Not here.””
Julian frowned.
“Why?””
“Because there are things you don't need to know.””
He shook his head.
“That's exactly what everyone keeps telling me.””
He turned toward Daniel, who had been standing near the entrance.
“Take the document. Make copies. Nobody removes anything from this house.””
Daniel nodded.
Julian walked out.
But before reaching his car, he heard footsteps behind him.
Celeste.
“Julian, wait.””
He stopped.
She approached, her handbag hanging from one shoulder.
“Please. I made a mistake.””
He didn't turn.
“A mistake is forgetting to buy milk. What you did was deliberate.””
“I was frustrated.””
“You watched a hungry child cry.””
“I didn't know she would react like that.””
He slowly faced her.
“She was six, Celeste. What reaction did you expect?””
Celeste looked down.
For a moment, she seemed almost ashamed.
Then she whispered:
“You should ask your mother why she wanted me in that child's life.””
Julian narrowed his eyes.
“What does that mean?””
Celeste looked toward the house.
“I wasn't the one who chose this arrangement.””
“Who did?””
She hesitated.
Then she opened her handbag and removed a small photograph.
It showed Evelyn standing beside a much younger Celeste at a charity event.
On the back, someone had written a date.
The date was six months before Julian's wedding.
Celeste handed it to him.
“Your mother approached me first.””
Julian looked at the photograph.
“Why?””
“She told me you needed a woman who could help you move on. She said Poppy needed a mother. She promised that if I married you, I would never have to worry about money again.””
Julian stared at her.
“And Claire?””
Celeste swallowed.
“She said Claire had made arrangements before she died.””
“What arrangements?””
Celeste's eyes shifted.
“I don't know everything.””
“Tell me what you know.””
“She said there was something valuable connected to Poppy. Something Claire wanted her daughter to inherit.””
Julian felt a chill move down his spine.
“What valuable thing?””
Celeste shook her head.
“Your mother said it was better if I didn't ask.””
Julian stepped closer.
“You married me for an inheritance?””
Celeste's silence was answer enough.
He turned away.
Behind him, she called:
“Julian! I can prove it!””
He stopped.
Celeste's voice trembled.
“I have messages from your mother. She told me exactly what to do after the wedding.””
Julian turned back.
“Where are they?””
“At home.””
“Show me.””
“Not here.””
He stared at her.
“Then send them to my lawyer.””
Celeste nodded quickly.
But before Julian could walk away, his phone rang.
Marcus.
“Julian, I've found something in Claire's original estate file.””
“What?””
“There's a trust fund. A very large one.””
Julian looked at the photograph in his hand.
“How large?””
Marcus paused.
“Approximately forty-eight million dollars, including investment growth.””
Julian closed his eyes.
“Who controls it?””
“Claire established it for Poppy. But there's something strange.””
“What?””
“The original trust agreement names you as the sole trustee until Poppy turns twenty-five.””
Julian frowned.
“Then what's strange?””
Marcus lowered his voice.
“Someone filed an amendment three days before Claire died. It attempts to transfer control of the trust to a third-party guardian.””
Julian's fingers tightened around the phone.
“Who?””
“Evelyn Whitmore.””
The world seemed to stop.
Marcus continued.
“And Julian, the amendment was never properly approved by Claire's legal representative.””
Julian looked back at the mansion.
His mother had not simply hidden the truth about Claire.
She had attempted to gain control of her granddaughter's inheritance.
“Freeze every transaction,” Julian ordered.
“Already done.””
“Send me the amendment.””
“There's one more thing.””
Julian's stomach tightened.
“What?””
Marcus took a breath.
“The document contains a witness signature. Someone who was present when Claire supposedly approved the change.””
“Who?””
Marcus answered quietly.
“Dr. Samuel Reeves.””
Julian looked toward Celeste.
She was watching him from the steps.
Then his phone vibrated again.
A message from an unknown number appeared.
*Mr. Whitmore, I have something your lawyer hasn't found. Claire left a second will.*
A photograph followed.
It showed the first page of a handwritten document.
At the bottom was Claire's signature.
And beside it, in unmistakable handwriting, were the words:
*If anything happens to me, Julian must know who really wanted Poppy.*
Julian stared at the screen.
May you like
For the first time, he wondered whether Claire's death had been the beginning of a plan rather than a tragedy.
And somewhere inside his own family, someone had been waiting three years for him to discover it.
