Chapter 1: The Bloomwood Betrayal

Part 1

🌳 **My half-sister celebrated my father’s death and plotted to steal his legacy — but she missed the one secret that would unravel everything.**

I tried to make sense of the grief after Dad died, wandering the conservatories he loved so much. Just two nights later, I overheard my own sister and her husband toasting his passing.

They were wishing I’d follow quickly so they could sell off everything Dad worked for. They even started discussing ways to make me seem too overwhelmed to manage the family estate, planning to seize control themselves.

Without confronting them, I quietly called Ms. Davies, the family lawyer. I realized Chloe and Marcus weren’t waiting for me to recover; they were actively waiting for me to break, and I was determined to do something they could never have imagined.

Lilly Chen, 16, tried to cope with her botanist father’s recent death. She found solace in The Bloomwood Conservatory he loved so much.

She’d overheard her half-sister, Chloe Albright, and Chloe’s husband, Marcus Albright, celebrating her father’s passing. They plotted to have Lilly declared unfit to inherit the unique property so they could sell it.

Lilly secretly contacted Eleanor Davies, the family lawyer. During their first meeting, Eleanor settled into her armchair, her gaze sharp.

“Lilly,” Eleanor began.

“There’s a codicil your father added just a few months ago. It’s quite specific.”

She explained that The Bloomwood Conservatory must remain under Lilly’s direct stewardship for at least five years. This was the only way to fully unlock the substantial endowment tied to it.

Chloe and Marcus’s quick-sale plan was about to get much more complicated, but it left Lilly with a daunting challenge.

Part 2

Chloe and Marcus remained undeterred. They started dropping comments about the old house and the conservatory, always hinting at its “upkeep” and “drain on resources.”

“It’s just so much for you, sweetie,” Chloe would say, looking at the peeling paint. Marcus nodded, his expression full of fake sympathy.

Then, they called a meeting. Marcus cleared his throat, pushing a document across the table. It was an appraisal report, signed by Randall Floyd.

The report stated Bloomwood was in “severe neglect” and “unsuitable for modern use.” It valued the entire property shockingly low. I knew Dad had always celebrated its unique collection.

“It’s a burden, Lilly,” Chloe explained, her voice soft. “It’s best if we just sell it quickly.”

I stared at the number, wondering how a place so loved could be deemed so worthless.