Chapter 23: Surprising details
As if sensing what the director was thinking, Mrs. Lani instinctively got a little scared. Fortunately, she didn’t let her insecurities show.
“What’s wrong? Is something wrong?” Mrs. Lani gathered enough courage to break the silence as the bank manager looked at her.
“May I ask what you are, Miss Erica?” The director asked the question with suspicion.
It was a bit surprising to be asked a question, but Mrs. Lani was adept at handling psychology and knew how to respond.Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.
“I am Erica’s current guardian, Lani Taylor. My husband is Mr. Lagan Watson’s younger brother.”
Saying that Mrs. Lani opened her bag and took out some necessary documents. She put it on the table, then gently pushed it towards the director.
“This is my identity document. As well as my husband’s.”
Because she had prepared in advance, Mrs. Lani had something to say when asked, making her appear very confident. The director picked up and examined the papers that Mrs. Lani had just provided.
“I see. Where’s your husband?” After looking at the papers, the director continued to have one more question. He needs to verify Erica’s relationship with the person most involved, not Miss Lani.
Before the question touched on the loss, Mrs. Lani fell into a sad mood and said:
“My husband died in a traffic accident a few years ago.”
After speaking, Mrs. Lani appeared pitiful as tears welled up in her eyes.
“I’m so sorry for your loss.” The bank manager sincerely said
“Yes, thank you,” Mrs. Lani replied politely, responding with a hesitant but appreciative smile.
“So what do you mean by asking me that?” Mrs. Lani suddenly posed a question.
“I just do it in the right order. That’s my job.” The director has an explanation. The answer was so reasonable that Mrs. Lani couldn’t say anything more.
“So Erica, is it true that this lady is your guardian?” The bank manager suddenly turned to Erica and asked a question. This confused Erica a bit, as she was preoccupied with finding a way out of the situation.
Seeing Erica’s silence, she hesitated to answer. Immediately, Mrs. Lani and Attorney Martin exchanged a discreet warning glance with Erica. Erica knew she couldn’t oppose Mrs. Lani. Moreover, the truth was that Mrs. Lani was still Erica’s guardian.
“That’s right, sir.” Erica looked the other person directly in the eye and confirmed slowly, “She is my current guardian.”
In a moment, Erica wanted to send a plea for help to the bank manager. However, she wasn’t certain if the bank manager would perceive the message her eyes were attempting to convey.
“I got it.” The director replied, and then everything fell silent. He picked up the file and looked it over again.
Mrs. Lani and Attorney Martin exchanged glances, both displaying impatience. They seemed to be losing their patience gradually. As for Erica, she was in her own world, searching for a way to escape from the clutches of these despicable individuals.
“May I ask if there’s an issue? Or perhaps the document is not valid?” Lani impatiently remarked, “If there’s no problem, please expedite the resolution for us.”
After a moment of contemplation, the bank manager responded, “Everything appears to be in order, ma’am.” The director glanced at Mrs. Lani, sighed, and added, “However, Erica’s signature alone is not sufficient.”
There was a moment of silence that left both Martin and Lani puzzled. “What the hell?” they thought as the words “Signature alone is not enough” echoed in their ears.
What exactly is happening? Is this a prank or something? Why does it have to be so complicated? Martin’s mind was filled with troubling thoughts. As for Ms. Lani, who was naive, now she was even more confused and could not understand the bank director’s point.
After a moment of silence, Mrs. Lani, in her naive manner, requested:
“What did you say? Could you please say it again?”
“With Erica’s signature alone, I cannot approve your withdrawals,” she calmly responded to the director.
While Mrs. Lani remained perplexed, unable to comprehend the significance of what she had just heard, Mr. Martin voiced his frustration:
“What the hell are you talking about?” Martin couldn’t accept the information and shouted in frustration, “Why can’t we withdraw the money? This is completely absurd. We’ve provided all the necessary legal documents.”
Martin seemed to have forgotten that he was a lawyer. He needed calmness and clear thinking. But it’s not surprising considering Martin’s overwhelming debts. He needed to get Erica’s money, or else he would be pursued by the underworld. When one’s life is threatened and one is faced with pressure and difficulties, everyone behaves instinctively. Therefore, Martin’s temperament and behavior in this case did not reflect the characteristics of a lawyer at all.
“We can’t get the money.” Mrs. Lani exclaimed, now understanding the situation: “What do you mean? Don’t play games with us like this, dear Mr. Director.”
Faced with the intense attack from both sides, the bank manager tried to calm their spirits.
“Please, everyone, remain calm. I will explain to you in detail about Mr. Lagan Watson’s will. I kindly request that you listen carefully.”
“A will? What kind of will?” Mrs. Lani blurted it out. She had never heard anything about it before. “How could there be any will that I don’t know about?”
While Mrs. Lani expressed confusion and disbelief, Mr. Martin appeared shocked. This unexpected revelation had the potential to change the course of events. It was clear that Mrs. Lani and Mr. Martin would be at a disadvantage. Worse yet, they might find themselves in a deadlock, at a dead end.
“That is the will written by Mr. Lagan Watson before his unexpected demise.” The bank manager revealed sincerely, “The will is legally recognized with the presence and testimony of a lawyer.”
“So what?” Mrs. Lani asked foolishly, “Isn’t the content of the will about leaving the estate to his family? And here’s his daughter, Erica Watson?”
“According to the correct interpretation, yes.” The director affirmed, “However, to inherit the assets left by Lagan Watson, certain conditions must be fulfilled.”
Shocked by the news, Mrs. Lani couldn’t believe that such a situation could arise. Truly, life is full of unexpected twists and turns. As for Martin, he was equally stunned by the news. This was something he had never heard Mrs. Lani mention before. From the beginning, Mrs. Lani only talked about the amount of wealth Erica would inherit and asked Martin to help her obtain it. That was all Martin knew. Mrs. Lani and Martin unintentionally locked eyes. Martin’s gaze was fiery, as if he were angry with Mrs. Lani. And rightly so, it was Mrs. Lani who had dragged Martin into this precarious situation. If he had known it would be so complicated, he probably wouldn’t have agreed to get involved. But it was too late now. Martin had been driven by his desire for money to take risks and disregard the consequences.
Mrs. Lani did not dare to look at Mr. Martin anymore, for she knew for herself what was going on. In other words, the plan is facing huge obstacles. There is even a risk of failure. And if that happens, Martin won’t leave Lani alone. That’s for sure.