Billionaire Buys a Failing Farm in Secret, Then the Farmer’s Daughter Refuses His Only Offer
Chapter 7
The note was dated the week before Claire died.
Adrian read it twice.
Martin has help from someone inside the county office.
If anything happens to me, don’t trust Thomas.
Adrian’s face hardened.
His mother’s suspicion had been correct.
Sheriff Thomas Hale had been involved.
But the note contained another name.
A county clerk.
Margaret Sloan.
Emily recognized it immediately.
“She still works at the courthouse.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Then we have to move.”
They went to the courthouse.
Margaret was seventy-one now.
When she saw the letter, she started crying.
“Claire asked me to help.”
“Did you?”
“I tried.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because Thomas threatened my husband.”
Emily stared.
“What did Martin want?”
“The water rights.”
“And my mother?”
“She knew too much.”
Adrian’s voice became quiet.
“Did Martin kill her?”
Margaret hesitated.
“No.”
“Then who?”
“Thomas arranged the accident.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
“Why?”
“Martin wanted to scare her into signing over the rights.”
“She refused.”
“Yes.”
Margaret handed Adrian another envelope.
“Claire gave me this.”
Inside was a letter.
Adrian’s hands shook as he opened it.
My son,
If you’re reading this, I failed to come home.
I need you to know that I loved you every day we were apart.
I never left because I wanted to.
I left because I was afraid.
But I found something worth fighting for.
The land.
The water.
Our family.
Please don’t let them take it.
Adrian couldn’t continue.
Emily took the letter.
She read it silently.
Then looked at him.
“She loved you.”
He nodded.
“So much.”
They stood together in silence.
Then Margaret spoke.
“There is another person.”
“Who?”
“Your father.”
Adrian froze.
“My father?”
“He knew what Martin was doing.”
“Why didn’t he stop him?”
“Because Martin had evidence of financial crimes.”
Emily frowned.
“What crimes?”
Adrian looked at Margaret.
She continued.
“Your father had invested in Martin’s company.”
Adrian stared.
His entire family history had become a web of lies.
His father hadn’t been innocent.
Neither had Martin.
Neither had Thomas.
And everyone had protected themselves by sacrificing Claire.
The hearing resumed the next day.
This time, Margaret testified.
Walter testified.
The forged transfer was entered into evidence.
The original water map was admitted.
The judge ruled in the Carter family’s favor.
Martin’s lawsuit collapsed.
Then federal investigators arrived.
They arrested Thomas Hale outside the courthouse.
Martin tried to flee.
Agents stopped him.
The county clerk was placed under investigation.
The case involving Claire’s death was reopened.
For the first time in decades, the truth was moving forward.
After the arrests, Emily stood beside Adrian outside the courthouse.
“You came here to buy our farm.”
He smiled.
“I did.”
“Then you became family.”
“Yes.”
“And now?”
He looked at her.
“Now I want to protect it.”
She smiled.
“You know you still haven’t made a successful offer.”
Adrian laughed.
“I noticed.”
“You keep buying everything around us.”
“Not everything.”
“Not yet.”
He looked at the farm.
“What would make you sell?”
“Nothing.”
He smiled.
“Good.”
Emily frowned.
“Why good?”
“Because I don’t want to own it.”
She stared.
“Then what do you want?”
Adrian looked at her.
“Something else.”
“What?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
She shook her head.
“You are impossible.”
“So I’ve been told.”
They returned home.
The farm was still struggling.
The irrigation system needed rebuilding.
The debt remained.
The crops were damaged.
But they finally had something money couldn’t buy.
The truth.
And they were about to discover that the land itself had another secret.
