My Ungrateful Son Tried To Steal My Estate—But I Secretly Owned His Bank

The Ultimatum

Beatrice stepped forward, her heels clicking loudly against the concrete. She gestured dramatically toward the deep end of the pool. "Just look at this, Florence. You’re sixty-seven years old, living all alone in this massive estate. What if you cramp up? What if you slip? It’s irresponsible for you to stay here, and frankly, it’s keeping Julian and me up at night with worry."

The lawyer, sensing the tension, opened his briefcase and pulled out a thick stack of documents. Julian took them and handed them to his mother. "These are the papers for a full power of attorney, Mom. We’ve already secured a beautiful, fully staffed suite for you at the Whispering Pines retirement village. You’ll have twenty-four-hour care. We just need you to sign these, and we’ll handle the sale of this estate."

Florence looked down at the documents. The words Irrevocable Transfer of Assets glared back at her. They weren't trying to protect her; they were trying to evict her. She looked at her son, searching for any trace of the boy she had raised, but found only cold, desperate greed.

"And if I refuse to sign?" Florence asked, her voice steady and calm.

Julian’s expression hardened, the facade of the loving son vanishing instantly. "If you refuse, we will take this to court. We have medical logs of your minor lapses in memory over the last year. We will have you declared incompetent, Mom. Don't make us do this the hard way. It will ruin your reputation, and you'll end up in a facility anyway."

Florence let out a soft, dry laugh that startled the lawyer. She wrapped her towel tighter around her shoulders and looked at the two of them. They had no idea that she had been watching them just as closely as they had been watching her.