Prologue

Mr. Van Hoven allowed himself a quiet moment of satisfaction. At last, the day had come—the heir to the Douglas Group was about to sign the documents and formally accept the inheritance. It was not the end of the process, but after today no one could doubt Mr. Lee’s rights.

Mr. Van Hoven had considered celebrating that evening, then dismissed the thought. There would be time for that later. For now, it was enough that things were proceeding as they should. He even knocked lightly on the polished red-oak desk, before glancing at the clock: 9:55 a.m. Time to go downstairs and meet the heir.

Mr. Lee had already arrived with his security detail, and Mr. Van Hoven had to apology:

“Good morning, Mr. Lee. Sorry, I’m running late.”

“Good morning, Mr. Van Hoven. No worries. We arrived a little early; travel time isn’t always easy to calculate.”

“The important thing is that you’re here. This way, please. Mr. Sanford is expecting you.”

Mr. Van Hoven led the group up the marble staircase to the second floor. Mr. Lee’s guards remained in the lobby while he and Mr. Van Hoven entered Mr. Sanford’s office. The lawyer greeted the heir and invited him to sit, then handed him a folder.

“Mr. Lee, I’m very pleased you’ve decided to

 accept the inheritance. Your grandfather would undoubtedly have been glad to know it. You’ll need to read and sign this consent so we can begin preparing the documents.”

“Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Sanford,” Mr. Lee replied, as he signed where indicated.

“You can always rely on our firm’s support. We hope for a long and productive cooperation ahead. If you have any questions or requests, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Mr. Douglas asked us to assist you not only until the inheritance is finalized, but afterward as well, should the need arise.”

“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind. I actually have a few questions. May I ask them now?”

Mr. Sanford nodded. “Of course.”

“Can the other heirs challenge my claim?”

“They can. But as I mentioned earlier, it’s unlikely to lead anywhere. The will was executed in full accordance with the law.”

“And what if an official DNA test proves I’m not Mr. Douglas’s grandson?”

“The will specifies your full name and date of birth. Whether you are a blood relative of the deceased is not particularly relevant. The Douglas Group passes to you regardless.”

“Wow,” Mr. Lee said before he could stop himself.

He paused, thinking, then asked:

“I’m not well versed in inheritance law, but if I understand correctly… my relatives no longer have a motive to kill me?”

“That,” Mr. Sanford replied carefully, “is a little more complicated.”

“Could you clarify, please?”

“First, I must emphasize that I have no right to speculate about the guilt or innocence of the other heirs. I can only provide legal information. I trust you understand, Mr. Lee.”

“Of course.” Mr. Lee nodded.

“I’ll have to start from the beginning, so you have the full picture. There are several provisions concerning the sudden death of an heir. First, our jurisdiction has what’s called a survival period. If you had died within ten days of Mr. Douglas’s death, his primary heirs would have divided your share among themselves. Mary, Eugene, and Ivory Douglas would each have received one third of your portion.”

“That explains the attempts on my life,” Mr. Lee murmured to himself.

Mr. Sanford chose not to comment and continued:

“Second: if you had died after those ten days—even without formally accepting the inheritance—you still would have been recognized as the heir. In that case, your share would pass to your own heirs: spouse, children, parents, siblings.”

“But I have no one.”

“Then your share would have gone to your aunt and uncle—Eugene and Ivory Douglas would have divided it equally.”

“So, now, Eugene and Ivory are my heirs. And Aunt Mary gets nothing?” – Mr. Lee tapped his fingers lightly against the folder.

“You understand correctly, unless you choose to write a will and distribute your estate otherwise.”

“I’ll think about it and let you know soon. Thank you, Mr. Sanford, for explaining all this. And for the support you’ve given me throughout.”

“Once again, congratulations, Mr. Lee. You can always reach out to Mr. Van Hoven if you have any questions.”

Mr. Lee and Mr. Van Hoven left Mr. Sanford’s office.

“Mr. Van Hoven, I sincerely want to thank you for all the help you’ve given me,” Mr. Lee said as they parted.

“It’s my job.”

“Even so. Good work deserves gratitude.”

“Thank you—that’s very kind of you. And congratulations on the inheritance. You still have to wait before becoming the full owner of the Douglas Group, of course. But at this point, it’s only a matter of time.”

With that, Mr. Lee left the mansion accompanied by his security detail.

Chapter 1

Onyx. Inheritance.

After finishing the formalities with the lawyers, I returned to the penthouse. Alisha and Phil were waiting for me—the first to report, the second to hear mine.

I started with work. Alisha said my subscriber count had grown. New advertising offers had come in, along with an invitation to appear on the evening talk show Roof Top and interview requests from the magazines Gloss and Men’s POV.

She had also prepared a first draft of the plan for the next Douglas Group trip; if I approved it, she would begin organizing it. All the documents were on my desk.

“Thank you, Alisha. I’ll review everything tonight. For now, you can head home and rest.”

“Goodbye, Mr. Lee.”

Phil and I saw her out and stayed outside. The evening was warm and clear—perfect for a conversation.

“How did it go?” Phil asked.

“Technically, fine. Signed the papers. Now we just wait.”

“The other heirs signed their consent too?”

“Yep. No one refused… Mr. Sanford told me a few interesting things. I think they might help us understand who benefits from getting rid of me, and at what stage. Want to map it out?”

“Let’s do. Now’s a good time to untangle this: we do have a dead shooter, and police still have no clear progress.”

“Bring water, beer, and snacks? I’ll grab paper,” I said.

Phil headed to the kitchen, and I went to the study, returning with a stack of paper, pencils, and a few pens.

We settled into the chairs. Looking at it from the outside, there was something unreal about the whole situation—me running my own investigation. It felt like a parody of a detective story, where a naïve protagonist suddenly starts untangling impossibly complex cases.

But I had Phil with his experience and unbreakable logic. So, I decided to give it a try. I pushed my emotions aside, at least for now, and got to the point.

“You’ve heard about the survival period in inheritance law?”

Phil nodded.

“Van Hoven explained it when we were planning your transfer.”

“Good. So, my grandfather’s wife and children would gain from eliminating me on the road. They could inherit everything that would have gone to me. But if I survived, Mary Douglas would lose this right. Ivory and Eugene, on the other hand, would receive more as my heirs.”

I drew two columns:

“My aunt and uncle might not know all the legal nuances. But I suggest we don’t get lost in speculation. Let’s start with the facts.”

“Agreed. Here’s another fact: you have another aunt. Your father’s sister.”

“Damn. I completely forgot. What’s her name?”

“Violetta King. Plus, there’s her husband, their daughter, and your grandmother.”

“Wow. More relatives… I always thought it was just me and Mom… I haven’t even inherited anything yet, and I already have heirs of my own. Funny,” I said, shivering as if from a sudden chill.

“One more thing. If I understand correctly, your grandmother has the priority in the inheritance line; she goes before your aunts and uncle. And that completely changes the second column.”

I scratched the back of my head.

“It means my father’s relatives gain if I survive and come into my inheritance. My grandma inherits everything… And after she passes away Aunt Violetta gets the whole package… Interesting… Could the Kings have known about any of this?”

“Unlikely. But we can’t rule it out completely,” Phil replied.

I summed it up:

“So The Douglases had the strongest incentive to make sure I never reached the capital. And they had a small window of ten days between my grandfather death and the end of the survival period to eliminate me. Am I correct?”

“Looks like that.”

“My grandfather told you that if anyone found out about me, I’d be in danger. That means he clearly suspected his inner circle. His wife only? Or the children too?”

“He also asked me to keep the investigation details secret from his assistant. So, Andrew McCormick could be involved as well. And there’s Mary’s brother, Vlad Pippidi. He doesn’t benefit directly from your death, but he could have helped his sister.”

The circle of suspects kept widening. It looked like everyone around my grandfather could be involved.

I drew a conclusion:

“They’re all linked either by blood or long-standing connections. No wonder the police haven’t been able to do anything. They could’ve coordinated everything and covered for each other. So, how do we get to the truth? They’re not going to confess voluntarily.”

 “To plan all this, they had to know you existed and that your grandfather made you a primary heir,” Phil noted.

“Right. Could they do that?”

“They could. Your grandfather suspected they might have tracked you down in advance. After all, your mother was one of the heirs. And it is very hard to keep secrets within the family… something may leak one way or another.”

“Sure. But to organize the attacks, they’d also need to know my movements. Could they?”

“The plan was developed by Van Hoven and me. But the partners and staff at Sanford, Clark & Waynes could’ve known too. McCormick knew about me for sure. So, they could’ve gotten information from the lawyers or simply kept me under surveillance.”

I leaned back in the chair, exhausted, staring at the sky.

“How are we supposed to sort this out? It’s not like I can go around asking each of them, ‘Were you the one trying to kill me?’”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to speak with all of them… there’s no other way. Asking directly won’t help, but something might slip during a conversation. Or you’ll sense whether they’re lying. A person can’t completely hide their intentions.”

“I don’t have your experience…”

“Then you’ll have to learn on the fly. Otherwise, how will you find out who’s behind this?”

Phil had, once again, elegantly shifted the responsibility onto me. Bastard. But he was right about one thing: it was my problem, and I had to deal with it.

I sighed.

“So, I need to start meeting the relatives. I’d gladly avoid it… I’ve already met Ivory and Eugene: too temperamental, not exactly masterminds. I doubt they could’ve orchestrated everything themselves. But their mother might have been behind them… what do you think?”

“Quite possible. If she organized it, the money stays in the family and under her control. I’ve looked into the Douglas family, though not deeply. On the surface, Mary is just a wealthy wife, not directly involved in company affairs. But who knows…”

We sat in silence for a while. Then something occurred to me.

“One more thing. When the will was read, it sounded like they’d inherited fortune. But now I see it differently. Each of the Douglases received expensive property, but maintaining it takes serious money. And my grandfather didn’t leave them much cash. He gave me a million, and it’s already melting away, even though I’m trying not to waste it. My relatives, on the other hand, are used to living large. So, for them, the will must feel like a slap in the face. Or am I missing something?”

“Have you looked at the shareholder list for the Douglas Group?”

“Not yet. Haven’t gotten around to it.”

“Mary, Ivory, and Eugene each own five percent. Not enough to influence company policy but the shares pay dividends. And if they sold them, they’d get a substantial sum. Besides, Ivory and Eugene work in the company and earn solid salaries.”

“Interesting. I need to look into that. And Mary? She gets nothing?”

“I don’t recall seeing anything. But I might have missed it.”

Phil leaned back in his chair, thinking. I, on the other hand, nearly jumped up with excitement.

“Listen, something just came to me. The attempts failed, I’m still alive, and I’ve even agreed to accept the inheritance. That means Mary’s plan collapsed. What if we just let the police deal with it?”

“And you’re not curious yourself?”

“Nope. You’re the detective here—with the professional obsession and the need to dig for the truth. I’d be perfectly happy sitting quietly on the sidelines. There are already too many people around me. I just want to enjoy life.”

“A nice wish. But the company is going to you, which keeps others unhappy, so they could continue trying to get rid of you.”

“But how do they benefit from this, if everything goes to my grandmother? I think they should keep me as safe as possible and try to cooperate with me. If I die, they’d have to deal with the Kings, technically losing the company. Am I right?”

“If your grandmother dies before you, your heirs would be your aunts and uncle.”

“So, it means, she is in danger too? Damn. You really know how to ruin a moment…”

“I’m doing it for your sake. So, you can stay alive and rich.”

“Thanks, Daddy.”

“Anytime,” Phil shot back.

Why does he always get the last word? Though…

“My relatives are interested in the inheritance, right? What if I write a will in someone else’s favor? Then they should lose interest in killing me. Grandma and I will be safe… Brilliant idea, huh?”

“In theory… it could work.”

“Perfect. I’ll call Van Hoven right now and ask.”

Phil didn’t even have time to stop me. I’d already dialed and heard a polite voice:

“How can I assist you, Mr. Lee?”

“Mr. Van Hoven, sorry for the late call. Mr. Doe and I were just discussing my… family situation and came up with an idea. I wanted to run it by you.”

“I’m listening.”

“If I draw up a will in favor of someone else, my relatives will no longer benefit from harming me. Is my reasoning correct? …Mr. Van Hoven? Can you hear me?” I had to add when the line went silent.

“Yes, I hear you, Mr. Lee. You just caught me off guard. It’s an unexpected move, but you’re right. They would lose the incentive. Do you already have someone in mind?”

“I could leave everything to Phil. Or to some charity. I haven’t decided yet, I’m just thinking it through with you… I could even arrange regular payments for my relatives while I’m still alive, just to be safe. It feels like my grandfather shortchanged them in the will… Maybe that would soften the blow.”

“Mr. Eugene and Ms. Ivory each have trust funds worth several million dollars. Mr. Douglas made sure of that. I don’t believe any additional payments from you would be necessary.”

“Well, that’s excellent news. I’ll think about the will and let you know.”

“I’ll be waiting for your decision. Good evening, Mr. Lee.”

Phil shook his head.

“You’ll do anything to avoid meeting your relatives, won’t you?”

I nodded, pleased with myself.

The next day, I woke up in an excellent mood. I decided to postpone all thoughts about my father’s death, my grandfather’s complications, and the attempts on my life. I was safe for now. The rest… I’d deal with it when the time came.

I prepared breakfast. A few days ago, Boris and I had a conversation about the necessity of having a night guard in the penthouse. Because the Douglas Tower was secured by default there was no need for a guard at my place, just an extra body downstairs. It was my suggestion and Boris agreed. 

But during the day, I needed one in case I had to go somewhere. So, my days now began with the guard’s and assistant’s arrival. Today was Dieter’s shift and he took up his usual post on the sofa.

Alisha and I headed to the study. If I was going to inherit all of this, I had to start understanding how everything worked.

“Alisha, you look beautiful today,” I said, my good mood spilling out into a compliment.

“So, I wasn’t beautiful before?” came the unexpected reply.

Damn. I nearly choked on my coffee. Alisha came closer and started patting me on the back.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Lee. That was a bad joke.”

“It’s fine, Alisha. Just… maybe don’t joke like that again. You have to understand I’m not exactly fluent in all the… nuances.”

I waved my hands helplessly, trying to outline the vague territory where my competence clearly failed.

“You get the idea…”

“I do, Mr. Lee,” Alisha said, taking pity on me and smoothly switching to a professional tone.

“Did you review the interview proposals?”

“Yes. The magazines—agreed, if questions were provided in advance. The talk show—no. Too many things could go wrong.”

“Good. What about the orientation trips to Douglas Group sites? Do we continue?”

“Yes. I’ve grasped the general picture already. No need for detailed tours now. It’s impossible to retain that many specifics anyway. Let’s keep the visits short and courteous… but still see everything. That way the media team can gather material. Though you probably know better than I do.”

“Understood. What else?

“I’d also like another meeting with the Douglas Group CEO. Last time wasn’t very informative. Find out when he’s available.”

“I will. Anything else?”

“A personal task. Could you research charitable foundations? Health, education, children—something along those lines. The ones with the strongest reputations.”

“You’re planning to make donations?”

“No. I’m planning to write a will,” I said cheerfully.

Alisha stared at me. I had managed to surprise my unshakable assistant. Fair enough the tone didn’t quite match the subject.

“Don’t worry, I’m not planning to die. Just formalities. Now I have something to leave behind… and heirs. Funny turn of events. Speaking of heirs, I’ve got more relatives besides the Douglases. I’d like to meet them this week. Could you please organize it?”

“Of course, Mr. Lee.”

“All right then. We have a lot to do and only three months. But I trust you’ll plan everything perfectly. I’m handing everything over to you.”

I spent three days studying the Douglas Group documents. This time, I focused closely on the company’s management structure. Since I had no background in business and was not familiar with the terminology, it took time and effort to work through it all.

Douglas Group turned out to be a private company, its capital divided into internal shares. Redistribution was only possible within the company itself.

The historical overview revealed that the original assets had come from the Ross family; another branch of my mother’s family.

Gillis Ross, my grandma, was Barrymore Douglas’s first wife. When they met, her family owned several small restaurants. Young and ambitious, Barrymore modernized and expanded them into a national chain.

My grandmother died of cancer when my mom was sixteen. After her death, my grandfather stopped developing the business under the Ross name and founded the Douglas Group. The former assets were transferred to its management.

Gradually, Barrymore edged his wife’s relatives out of management and ownership, leaving them with a symbolic ten-percent stake.

But as the Douglas Group’s assets kept growing, so did the Ross family’s wealth and income. I had no way of knowing whether they were satisfied with that arrangement or resented it. That was something I would have to find out.

I had to admit; my grandfather clearly knew how to turn circumstances to his advantage. Still, he remained decent… to a point, if that’s the right word. He didn’t leave the Ross family with nothing, even though he could have.

He also allocated shares to his second wife and children and set up trust funds for them. He didn’t forget his assistant either: Mr. Andrew McCormick received one percent of the shares.

Thirteen percent belonged to people I didn’t know yet. The last ten percent formed the company’s reserve pool, intended for employee incentives.

In other words, my grandfather had taken care of everyone not forgetting himself. He retained control with fifty-one percent. And that controlling stake was what would pass to me.

All of it brought me back to the same questions: the complexity of my grandfather’s character, and why he had never wanted to meet me in person.

Phil offered to help untangle the mystery. I would have preferred that he stayed out of my problems. But I knew the stubborn guy would do as he pleased anyway.

So, when Alisha arranged another meeting with the Douglas Group CEO, I took Phil along and introduced him as my official representative. I requested that he be granted the same level of access to company information as I had.

This time, Mr. Fletcher was all business. We discussed what I could already do as the future owner. He suggested I attend the quarterly Board meeting to observe the procedures.

Of course, I couldn’t vote or interfere in management yet, but I could meet the other Douglas Group stakeholders and understand how decisions were made.

After the meeting with the CEO, we headed to my office. Since it effectively consisted of two adjoining workspaces, I asked Alisha to set up the second room for Phil so he could work there and study the company from the inside.

Keeping him occupied like that gave me a small measure of hope. Maybe… just maybe, he’d stay out of my personal affairs and avoid getting hurt.