Beautiful Distraction(165)

“Yes, it’s Mr. Lucazzone’s last will. But…why are you showing it to me? I don’t know him personally.” My voice sounded choked as I fought to grasp the meaning of what looked like the photocopy of an original will written in legal English. In theory, I had read about the old man’s life in Jett’s files. But the whole situation was too huge to grasp. I was supposed to handle the case, not meet with a lawyer and talk about the next of kin. If there was proof of alien life on another planet, I would have been a lot less surprised.

I shook my head. A will, my name, and Alessandro’s—three things, and all on one paper? That was impossible. Insane.

“This must come as a bit of a shock but,” Jake tapped the end of his pen on the paper, right where Alessandro had signed his name, “you are the heir.”

“It can’t be.” I shook my head in denial. “It must be a mistake.”

The will declared Maria Lucazzone’s relatives as the beneficiary, even though according to Jett’s file there was none.

“Initially Mr. Lucazzone decided to pass the estate on to various charities,” Jake said. “However, a few weeks ago it came to his attention that his deceased spouse had relatives in the United States. It took us a while to ascertain your father’s identity, but since he’s no longer with us and he has no siblings, you’re the next of kin. In a gesture of goodwill, Mr. Lucazzone changed the testament in your favor upon one condition.” He paused for effect and smiled. I stared at him, open-mouthed, still not getting his drift. “My client is a very ill man, who could pass away any minute. He wants to meet his heir before he dies.”

I knew the answer, but I still had to ask. “How can I possibly help you?”

He pushed an envelope across the table, toward me. “Brooke, we’ve wasted enough time searching for your father, and when we discovered he had passed away, it took us a while to get hold of you. We’d like you to come with us straight away, so you can meet with your great-great-uncle and sign the necessary paperwork. I took the liberty to purchase two tickets for you, in case you want to bring a person of your trust along.”

I peered inside the envelope at two first class flight tickets, and all blood drained from my face. He wasn’t joking. I shook my head, forcing huge gulps of air in and out of my lungs.

“I’m—” My speech eluded me. I felt stupid thinking that I was the heir to an estate, let alone utter the words that burned a hole in my head.

An estate worth millions—millions Jett offered Alessandro Lucazzone.

A thought entered my mind that maybe it was all a con. Maybe Jett tricked Alessandro into thinking I was the heir, when I wasn’t. The old man might not want to sell his property for the original, more than generous offer, but the heir was more than likely to. And Jett always told me he trusted me. Maybe he’d go this far to get the estate. It was a possibility I couldn’t discard. Countless questions and theories flashed through my head, but there was little time to think them all through.

“Are you interested?” Jake asked.

Hell yeah, I was. Who wouldn’t be?

“Yes,” I said slowly.

“Very well. I’m glad to have made your acquaintance.” Jake smiled and reached out his hand to shake mine, then pushed yet more sheets across the table. I caught a glimpse of financial reports, plot measurements, and contracts. “Congratulations, Brooke. You’re the future heir of the Lucazzone Estate. Clarkson & Miles couldn’t be more delighted to represent your interests and, I hope, build a thriving and long-lasting relationship for the future.”





CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE





Half an hour later, I maneuvered my old Volvo through the slow traffic. I was still hyperventilating from the shock. The more I thought about it, the more everything felt surreal. Almost like a dream. Maybe it was nothing but an error, a case of mistaken identity, a scam. Maybe Clarkson had the wrong Brooke Stewart, because inheriting a large European estate sure didn’t sound like something that would happen to me. To my surprise, the first person I wanted to share my news with was Jett. I tried to reach him on my cell, and when he didn’t pick up I left a voicemail to call me as soon as he got my message. The second person in line was Sylvie.

My head was giddy with excitement as I parked my car across the street and dashed through the lobby of our apartment complex, then up the stairs because the elevator was busy. When I entered—half-breathing, half-choking—Sylvie didn’t even look up from her comfortable seat on the couch. My heart was beating so fast, I figured it was only a matter of time until it burst. But Sylvie noticed none of it. Only when I bent over, trying to catch my breath, did she look up surprised.