Chapter 4 INK AND WARNINGS

Chapter Four

The moment Eva walked out, Serah locked the door and leaned her back against it, heart beating fast.

Her mind raced. Three days. That was all she had left to figure this out. And she wasn't going to waste another second waiting for James or Eva to make their next move.

She was done playing safe.

She has to beat them at their own game,and she has to be fast about it.

Grabbing her laptop, she sat at the dining table and opened a blank document. She needed a plan. A legal one. There had to be something in the will-some kind of loophole or hidden details she'd missed.

She pulled up the scanned copy of her grandmother's will.

The document stared back at her with cold finality.

"To my granddaughter Serah, my entire estate shall be passed to her upon marriage, within thirty days of my passing. Failure to do so will result in full transfer to Eva Winston."

She read the sentence again.

And again.

It made her sick.

She dialed the number of her late grandmother's lawyer-Mr. Daniel. An older man, sharp and quiet. He'd always been loyal to her grandmother.

The last time she went to see him,he made it clear to her that there was no other way out,but she needed someone to talk to before she went crazy.

He picked up on the third ring. "Hargrove and Associates. This is Daniel."

"Mr. Daniel, it's Serah. Serah Winston."

"Ah, Serah. My condolences again. How are you holding up?"

"Trying," she said tightly. "Listen, I need to talk to you about the will."

"Of course. Are you calling about the marriage condition?"

"Yes. I need to know if there's any way around it. A legal option. A loophole. Anything."

There was a pause.

"Well, the condition is legally binding, Serah. Your grandmother was... meticulous."

"Right," she muttered.

"However," he continued, "there might be some angles to explore. For example, the definition of 'marriage'-if the union was genuine or if it's proven to be under duress or fraud, it can be challenged."

Serah sat up. "So, if I marry someone just to meet the condition-"

"Then later annul it? Possibly. But it's risky. And your grandmother was aware of those tricks. She insisted on a post-marriage review period before the estate was formally handed over."

"A what?"

"She set a rule. Even if you marry within the 30 days, the estate won't be legally transferred to you until a six-month period of 'genuine marital cohabitation' has passed."

Serah's heart dropped.

Of course her grandmother had thought of everything.

"Is there anything else?" she asked desperately.

"I'd have to go through her private notes, journals... maybe something she left behind that wasn't included in the formal document."

Serah frowned. "I have her old books here. Her journals too. She used to write everything down."

"Then start there. If she left you anything unofficial... it might help."

After they ended the call, Serah went straight for the bookshelf in her bedroom. Her grandmother had always been a secretive woman. Books were her best-kept vaults. She had this old habit of hiding letters and notes between pages.

Serah pulled down the oldest journal and flipped through it. Nothing.

She tried the Bible next-still nothing.

Then she paused at a worn blue hardcover book with faded gold lettering: Wuthering Heights. Her grandmother's favorite.

She opened it.

Nothing on the first page.

Nothing on the second.

Then a sharp edge scratched her finger.

She flipped the page back-and there it was.

A letter.

Folded neatly. Yellowed with age. Tucked just beyond Chapter Five.

Her breath caught as she slowly pulled it out.

Her name was written across the front in shaky cursive.

To Serah – When the time is right.

Hands trembling, she opened it.

Her grandmother's handwriting stared back at her.

> My dearest Serah,

If you're reading this, then time has brought you to a moment where choices must be made. I hope you are wiser than I was.

Love has two faces-truth and betrayal. I've lived long enough to see both. That is why I placed the condition in my will. Not to trap you-but to protect you.

Eva... she was once a girl I believed in. But trust, my dear, must never be blind. If she has turned her mask toward you, be ready.

There are people you will not expect who are playing roles in this story.

Not all enemies come as strangers. And not all friends stay loyal.

There is something hidden, more than you know. Ask the right questions. Watch closely. And never, ever let them see you bleed.

With all my love,

Grandmother

Serah sat frozen.

Not all enemies come as strangers.

Her grandmother knew.

She knew Eva would turn on her.

She warned her about betrayal, and about people she wouldn't expect.

Serah's eyes flew back to the words:

> There is something hidden-more than you know.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed.

Another message.

Same unknown number from last night.

"I saw what they did. I know who's helping them. Meet me tonight. Rooftop of the Belmore Hotel. Come alone. -E"

Serah's heart slammed against her ribs.

Who was this "E"? Was it a trap?Why is the person bothering her life? She already has a lot to deal with and she doesn't want more added to it.

Or... was it someone who actually knew something?

And who else could be helping James and Eva?

Her fingers curled around the letter. Her grandmother was right.

She couldn't trust anyone-not completely.

But she was done being a pawn.

She was done being so naive and easy to manipulate.

Serah stood, grabbed her coat, and stared out the window, wishing her grandmother was still alive. At Least she will be here to guide her. She was scared and at the same time confused.

Why will her own sister betray her? She has loved and cared for her right from when they were small,she has never made Eva feel like an adopted child even after finding out that she was adopted.

But,as they say, no matter how good you treat someone, a greedy person will always be greedy and can do anything to get whatever she wants.

She will definitely make sure James and Eva fail at whatever game they are planning and she will beat them at their own game.

Tonight, she was going to find out just how deep this game went.

Even if it meant walking straight into danger.