Chapter 3 - The Reading of the Will
Two weeks after the somber military funeral, the Thorne family gathered inside the cold, oak-paneled office of General Thorne’s long-time estate attorney.
Evelyn sat in a designer black mourning dress, dabbing at fake tears with a silk handkerchief while Sienna scrolled through her phone, loudly complaining about how long the legal proceedings were taking because she had a reservation at a luxury spa.
Nora sat quietly in the corner, dressed in her crisp dark blue Army service uniform. Beside her sat Caleb, her fiancé and a highly decorated military investigator, holding her hand in a steady, silent show of absolute support.
The attorney cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses as he opened the sealed folder containing the General's final testament.
"To my wife, Evelyn, and my daughter, Sienna," the attorney read aloud, his voice devoid of emotion. "I leave the primary family residence, along with the responsibility of its remaining mortgage. I also leave the sum of fifty thousand dollars to be divided equally between you."
Evelyn’s fake tears vanished instantly. She dropped her silk handkerchief, her eyes bulging in sheer, unfiltered outrage. "Fifty thousand?! Are you out of your mind?! Marcus had over eight million dollars in his private military trusts and charitable foundations! Where is the rest of my money?!"
The attorney looked over his glasses, completely unfazed by her screeching. "The remainder of the estate, including the eight-million-dollar trust fund and the executive control of the Gold Star Families Charity Foundation, has been left solely and exclusively to your eldest daughter, Nora Thorne."
Sienna dropped her phone on the floor, her mouth hanging open. "What?! She gets everything?! She doesn't even live with us! She wears combat boots for a living!"
"My father knew exactly what he was doing," Nora said quietly, her calm, dignified voice cutting through her mother's rising hysteria. "He knew you would drain the charity funds to buy sports cars and designer bags. The money is locked in a military trust, and I am the only authorized signatory."
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Evelyn slammed her hands down on the mahogany desk, her face contorted in vicious, ugly rage. "You listen to me, you ungrateful little brat! You are going to sign a full power of attorney transferring that trust to me by the end of the month, or I swear to God, I will destroy your precious military career."
👉 Read Part 4 to see the terrifying blackmail scheme Evelyn orchestrated to trap Nora.
