CHAPTER 5 — "The Signature That Was Never Hers"
The room fell deathly silent.
Nathan's confident smile slowly faded.
"What... what do you mean?" he asked.
Eleanor reached into her handbag once more.
This time, she pulled out a small leather notebook—old, cracked, and worn from decades of use.
Judge Coleman recognized it instantly.
"My God..."
"The Founder Registry."
Every board member in the room stood up.
Nathan frowned.
"It's just an old notebook."
Judge Coleman shook his head.
"No."
"This notebook contains the original legal authority that predates every modern contract of the Foundation."
Eleanor calmly opened it to the very first page.
The audience watched in disbelief.
Her signature from thirty-five years ago looked nothing like the one Nathan had presented.
Then she placed another document beside it.
"The contract Nathan showed you..."
"...contains a signature I have never used."
A forensic handwriting expert—already present because of Eleanor's private request weeks earlier—walked onto the stage.
He adjusted his glasses before speaking into the microphone.
"We examined both documents yesterday."
"The contract transferring ownership..."
"...is a sophisticated forgery."
The crowd exploded.
Nathan's face turned white.
"No... that's impossible!"
The expert continued.
"Even the ink was manufactured only eighteen months ago."
"But the document claims it was signed six years ago."
Judge Coleman slowly turned toward Nathan.
"You didn't inherit the Foundation."
"You tried to steal it."
Nathan looked desperately at Veronica.
She immediately stepped backward.
"I don't know him."
Nathan stared at her in disbelief.
"You promised we'd be protected!"
Veronica crossed her arms.
"I promised nothing."
In one sentence...
Their alliance shattered.
Then Eleanor quietly looked at her grandson.
"I spent years believing someone outside this family would betray me."
She paused.
"I never imagined it would be the little boy I once carried to bed every night."
Nathan couldn't meet her eyes.
For the first time in years...
May you like
He looked ashamed.
But it was already too late.
