Chapter 21 - A Mysterious New Stranger Arrives At The Gate
The peaceful morning stillness of the Vermont cabin was broken by the crunch of gravel on the driveway. Maren looked up from the porch swing as a sleek black sedan stopped near the front wooden fence.
The driver's side door opened slowly, and a tall man in a dark wool coat stepped out onto the path. He held a weathered leather envelope in his gloved hands, walking toward the porch with measured steps.
Maren gently set Elodie down, standing up to block the front screen door with a protective glare. "We're not interested in whatever corporate papers you're carrying, mister," Maren warned coldly.
The stranger stopped at the bottom of the porch stairs, offering a polite, calm smile beneath his fedora. "I'm not here for the Mercer estate, Mrs. Vale," the man said smoothly, holding out the weathered envelope.
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"My name is Christian Vance, and I represent the primary international trust that Viktor Mercer tried to hide." Maren’s heart skipped a beat as she stared at the strange seal stamped across the old leather paper.
"What kind of trust?" Maren asked cautiously, her hand resting on the wooden door frame. Christian's eyes gleamed with a quiet, dangerous curiosity under the morning sun. "Open it, Maren, and find out what your family truly inherited."
