THE GOLD - PUBLISHED ON AMAZON: ON TAPAS TOO.

Chapter 1: Seven Hundred Acres Estate

Seven Hundred Acres Estate

Janie Stone, a twenty-seven years old, sophisticated African-American woman; the founder and director of a famous global paparazzo fashion magazine company, Stylish Gossip in London, was upset at herself for being gullible to her ex-boyfriend, Keith Halls. Her desk was piled up with potential fashion topics and celebrity candidates' articles to publish in their magazine, she flicked through each folder and frowned as she snatched up, supermodel, Bella Martini, scandalous sunbath sex trip with her multi-billionaire ex-boyfriend, Keith. He was married to Barbara Smith, a well-known actress –the owner of a famous cosmetic company called Halo Mist. She has four adorable children.

Her pressure rose while glaring at the paper-clipped pictures of her and Keith, who paid other paparazzo companies to frame her as his sexy mistress, Bella Martini. Dropping the article in the trash bin beneath her desk, she shook her head and muttered, 'What made me so attracted to this fake?' She thought, 'All those I love you; I want you, played in my head like a song. I should have known better. Keith is nothing but a gold-digging heartless weasel.'

*

Janie was right. Keith was a sneaky weasel. Suddenly, the telephone rang. She realised it was a transferred call from her secretary, Marissa Flaming. She picked it up and answered.

'This is Stylish Gossip CEO, Janie Stone. How may I help you?' Janie asked.

'Ms. Janie Stone? I'm Cliff Red. I'm your grandparents' Mr. and Mrs. Stone's lawyer,' answered the older man, Cliff.

'My grandparents' lawyer?' Janie questioned strangely. 'My grandparents were buried three weeks ago,' she explained.

'May I address you as Janie?' asked Cliff.

'Yes, you may,' Janie replied and overheard the old man clearing his throat.

'Mr. and Mrs. Stone, your grandparents,' Cliff started. 'Told me after their burial, I was supposed to inform you about your inheritance, their gorgeous estate called Angel's Rest and the massive western farmhouse mansion on seven hundred acres in Franklin, Tennessee.'

'You mean in Tennessee?' Janie asked shockingly. 'A 700 acres estate and a farmhouse, what am I supposed to do with all that land and house? Live there all my life? I can barely manage my company here in London,' she thought.

'Yes and your grandparents also left an excessive amount of gold, they earned from running a mining business in Alaska. They buried the gold in a secret bunker beneath the mansion,' continued Cliff.

'Gold? This is unreal?' Janie commented and was shocked by what she heard but also overjoyed.

Janie loved her grandparents. She had spent most of her time taking care of them and visiting them over the holidays in Belgium. Because they were the only family she had left after her parents and youngest sister were killed in London's terrorist bombing attack years ago. To think those cheeky retirees were so fully loaded made her laugh inwardly. She knew they were cheapskates. But they were always happy to help her, whenever she fell short on cash. When she started her business, she had borrowed a million dollars from them to invest in her idea which became successful. Then she repaid her grandparents double the amount with interest.

'Trust me, Ms. Stone, the gold is real. I've seen it in my office before your grandparents buried it underneath their house somewhere,' assured Cliff.

'When I can meet with you, Mr. Red?' Janie asked. 'To claim the will and the legal documents of the estate?' she continued.

'Not so fast, Ms. Stone, there's still more to learn,' Cliff said quickly.

'Like what? Is there a problem with the property? Does the farmhouse need to be renovated? Are the horses sick?' Janie questioned, thinking about the cost of these expenses that could make her company account and extra-savings account empty, falling into bankruptcy while diving into more debt. She couldn't handle being at rock bottom without money and her company, which she worked so hard for. Janie prayed in her thoughts, 'God don't let it drain my pockets' and she gulped listening attentively to the lawyer.

'Oh no, Janie, it's nothing like that,' Cliff laughed at her overly concerned thoughts.

'So what is it, Cliff?' Janie asked firmly.

'Another old couple, Mr. and Mrs. Applewhite who bought the same property your grandparents bought a month ago were tricked by the same realtor, Ron Buskins who robbed them of all their money and flee to New Zealand and then Chile. The FBI is currently searching for this fraud as we speak,' explained Cliff.

'About my inheritance does that change in this situation?' Janie asked curiously.

'Not really...' Cliff said sheepishly.

Instantly, Janie knew something was out of place, 'Do I have to share my property with another inheritor?' She asked.

'So it seems,' Cliff replied and she groaned. He continued, 'Mr. and Mrs. Applewhite and your grandparents went to court battling for their property rights ownership. According to the judge, Willis Tommy, at that time, his authorisation letter stated that both parties had no choice but to share the western farmhouse: mansion and estate by living together.'

'The judge didn't give them another solution?' Janie asked.

'If they hadn't chosen this option, their land would have been auctioned into charity or seized by the government for a tourism project,' Cliff confirmed honestly.

'Oh...?' Janie spoke, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'Isn't there another way? What about separation?'

'Mr. and Mrs. Stone, said in their will you mustn't sell their land to anyone except for your children and it must be kept within your family's generation,' Cliff warned.

'Seriously, Grandma and Grandpa? Who's going to marry me? I thought Keith would have engaged me but it was all for the money, not love,' she frowned at her thought and sighed. 'Who's the other inheritor of the property from Mr. and Mrs. Applewhite's family?' Jane asked.

'Jason Applewhite, their second favourite grandson,' answered Cliff. 'Both families agreed that their grandchildren should share the estate and farmhouse living together like a family, like they did, only for two weeks. It would give the government confirmation that you are both serious about your estate and they would avoid the decision of seizing your property from your family's generation.'

'What if I refused to live on the same estate with this Jason, guy?' Janie frowned.

'Then you've given up your inheritance and the entire property belongs to Jason. But the government will still seize it. Since your grandparents and his signed a contract with them stating that both of you will manage it to prevent them from seizing the estate. You don't want to disappoint them, after all, they did leave all that gold beneath their mansion in a bunker for you two.'