Page 64 of The Broken Note

“That’s not true,” I mumble, rubbing the back of my head. “Finn would find a loophole and adopt a kid so he could qualify in two months instead of one year.”

Mom slants me a death glare. “Even if you wanted to do such a preposterous thing, it’s not that simple. Your grandmother had a qualifier. Whoever inherits the property must be married first.”

Married.

A sudden revelation zings through my body.

“Did that condition apply to dad too?” I ask.

“It did.”

My eyes lock on hers. Gravity is pulling my body until it feels heavy enough to break through the floor.

“Mom, when did dad find out about the will?”

“The lawyer called him after he called me.”

“I want exact dates,” I press.

She tilts her head to the side, her mouth curving up in a knowing smile. Almost as if she’s proud of me. “I believe it was around the time when he got married to Marion.”

“What a coincidence.”

“A coincidence indeed.”

“And I guess it’s a coincidence that he decided to teach at Redwood Prep right around the time grandmother’s will takes effect.”

“Mm.” Mom slides a lazy finger over her pearl necklace. “Quite the coincidence.”

I grip the arm of my chair, glaring a hole into the ground. I should have known there was something bigger than the chairman seat motivating dad. His decision to teach at Redwood Prep and challenge Miller’s power was too random. Too sudden. Dad let Miller run the place for years while he sat back and silently controlled everything. Why threaten the throne now?

It all clicks into place.

The power moves.

The sudden interest in our lives.

The inheritance.

Dad wants us in his sight to make sure we won’t qualify.

Mom turns to me. “Zane is in love with that teacher, isn’t he?”

“You noticed?”

“He can’t take his eyes off her.”

“I thought he was getting better at hiding it.”

“Please.” Mom rolls her eyes. “There was a moment during dinner where that woman burned her tongue while eating. I thought Zane would climb on top of the table to help her. He was so entranced.” Mom pauses. “Your father must have noticed this too.”

I take a deep breath and shake my hands out. “You’re saying… even dad’s choice of a wife was because of the inheritance?”

“I’m saying, Dutch, that your father wants this money very much. Why? I don’t know. I only know that he’s making moves to prevent you boys from even thinking of getting your hands on it. And while I initially believed in keeping you in the dark so you can marry and bear children when you’re older and more settled, I’m troubled by the lengths he would go. It makes me wonder if there’s something he’s hiding. Something he wants to make sure we don’t know about.”

Dad’s secrets don’t mean anything to me. All that matters is thwarting his plan and making sure henevergets this money.

“How much time do we have?” I demand.