Garden of May - Chapter 150
“Do you recognize this?”
A yellowed sheet of paper, something that felt vaguely familiar, was placed on the table.
Vanessa’s stiff gaze flickered from Benjamin Dawson to the document, then back again. It was, in essence, a renunciation of inheritance. And the name signed at the bottom was—
“Vanessa Siren Somerset. That’s your signature. Looks like you signed it when you were very young.”
At the sight of the page filled with dense legal terminology, her heart dropped. She didn’t even need to search her memory. There was only one moment it could be.
The lawyer who had come to take her to her uncle, right after her parents’ funeral. She faintly remembered it.
Burning with fever, barely conscious, signing without understanding a word. And every time she hesitated, he had sweetly assured her it was all for her uncle and for her family.
Back then, she had believed her uncle would kindly take care of her, now that she was an orphan.
“The original is kept at the court. This is the copy submitted to the company.”
“The wording is deliberately twisted—hard to grasp even for you now. But to put it simply, if you fail to complete the proper legal procedures within one year after reaching adulthood, your inheritance rights transfer to your uncle, Wyatt.”
“My God…”
Vanessa covered her face with trembling hands. It had been a trap from the very beginning. A carefully laid snare, woven over years she hadn’t even known to question—layer upon layer, like a spider’s web.
And now she finally understood. How her uncle, who constantly complained about being burdened with debt, could spend more than half the year gambling. Why he had clung to her with such obsessive control, keeping her ignorant, isolating her from the world.
“Since you signed it as a minor, it can be overturned. Even a signature made one week before legal adulthood can be challenged—let alone something from seven years ago. But first, we need to prove that the current will is fraudulent.”
“You’ll need to find the original will. I doubt it was destroyed. Whether the ownership is transferred or the inheritance is renounced, it must first pass to you legally. That’s how it gains effect, according to the company’s internal regulations. The late Count planned that far ahead.”
Father… The memory of him had already begun to fade. But as she reached for it, a single tear slipped from her eyes and fell onto her pale cheek.
Wiltshire watched her with a complicated expression before speaking carefully.
“Writing a will is usually a lifelong process. But in normal circumstances, no one becomes this obsessive about it. Not to the point of preserving every revision as a copy.”
“……”
“I believe he knew. That an untimely death would come for him someday.”
* * *
The sky, heavy with dark clouds, looked ready to pour rain again at any moment.
Vanessa wandered aimlessly, her steps eventually leading her to the familiar entrance of the garden. She lifted her dim gaze toward the rose garden.
She didn’t even remember how she had gotten there. Her mind refused to steady itself. After a few unsteady steps, she sank to the ground in a daze.
A wave of nausea rose up her throat.
She dimly thought she shouldn’t let anyone in the manor see her like this, but she couldn’t move. Her thoughts replayed the conversation from earlier, but everything felt hazy.
Like Gloucester Castle shrouded in fog.
“Before you contacted me, someone else approached me first. A man named Norman… Does that name mean anything to you?”
“No. I’ve never heard it before.”
“I showed him the will. After that, he gave me a large sum of money and told me never to speak of it to anyone. At first, I thought it was just an odd condition… but now I suspect he was trying to prevent you from ever learning the truth.”
“……”
“To be honest, the company’s profits aren’t particularly large at the moment. I did advise you to find the will… but competing with Mr. Townes over this is not a wise decision, Miss.”
Her breath trembled, breaking into quiet sobs.
The depth of the deception suffocated her. What kind of monster had she been calling uncle all this time?
She hadn’t even recognized the man who might have killed her parents. Instead, she had foolishly sought his affection, tiptoeing around his moods, enduring unjust treatment in silence…
Looking back on those years—crushed, controlled—it was horrifying. Now it felt like the entire world had been lying to her. As if everything had been arranged just to deceive her.
Then, the rain came. Heavy drops began to fall, drenching her frail shoulders. She slowly tilted her head back, looking up at the sky.
Raindrops gathered on her forehead and trembling lashes before sliding down her face. She was cold. Desperately, painfully alone.
She longed for warmth. It didn’t matter who it came from. Her friends, who hadn’t contacted her for days… Or even a complete stranger on the street.
As long as someone would stand beside her under this relentless rain. As long as they didn’t betray her and crush her. Anyone, please…
“Vanessa.”
Like an answer to her desperate prayer, a man came running through the rain and grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet.
- Protected: Garden of May Chapter 152 - Jun 16, 2026
- Protected: Garden of May Chapter 151 - Jun 16, 2026
- Protected: Garden of May Chapter 150 - Jun 16, 2026
