Chapter 4: B: Uncle Arthur’s Betrayal

👉 [Previous choice]: You chose Option B – Seek protection and advice from her estranged Uncle Arthur.

Dr. Dunbar’s warning about family echoed in my mind. Uncle Arthur was my only living relative with any claim to the Holloway estate, though we hadn’t spoken in years. He was notoriously greedy. If Kincaid knew about him…

I drove to Uncle Arthur’s gaudy condo, my stomach churning. He opened the door, a faint whiff of stale cigar smoke trailing him. “Maya? To what do I owe this… surprise?” His eyes narrowed.

“Uncle Arthur, I need your help,” I began, trying to sound calm. “There’s a man, Julian Kincaid, trying to take the house. He was trespassing. He’s after something in Clara’s room.”

Arthur scoffed, adjusting his silk bathrobe. “Always some drama with that house. Always some ‘something.’ I tried to tell your father to sell it years ago. A money pit.”

“It’s not a money pit, it’s our heritage! And this man is dangerous,” I pleaded. “Clara wrote about him. He’s after an ancient mirror, a relic.”

Arthur waved a dismissive hand. “Fairy tales. Listen, I actually just heard from a very persuasive… investor. He’s quite interested in the Holloway property. Offered a very generous sum, given its ‘condition.'”

My heart sank. “An investor? Kincaid, wasn’t it?”

Arthur’s eyes twitched. “Maybe. What’s it to you? You’re a dispatcher. You can’t even afford the taxes on that place. This gentleman, he’s prepared to offer me a rather significant… consultancy fee… to manage the estate going forward. Which means, as your closest living relative, I’ll be taking over.”

“Taking over?” I felt a surge of cold anger. “You can’t do that!”

“Oh, but I can. With my newly acquired power of attorney, signed this morning, I assure you. This Kincaid, he’s quite the businessman.” He smirked. “He made me a better offer than you ever could, dear girl. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have important papers to sign.”

He shut the door in my face, leaving me alone in the hallway. Kincaid had found Uncle Arthur. And Arthur, for a quick buck, had sold me out. My own uncle, the one person I thought might offer some familial support, had handed Kincaid the keys to my entire ancestral home. I was legally isolated, locked out before the fight even began.