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“I know,” Chase said, anger seething through hiacy with their nonsense—yet again “Listen, Aunt Maya, I know I promised to stay here with Dad, like the rest my brothers until…well, I’ll have to head out west for a while, probably a month or so to take care of some business”
“What? Why?” Aunt Maya seeenuinely disappointed “What could be so io out there now, Chase? You know your dad doesn’t have much time left The doctor said he has only six e very suddenly Oh, Chase,” she continued, putting her hand over her heart “Can’t this wait until next year?”
Chase sighed heavily, feeling pressure on his own heart “I wish I could, Auntie Trust o into the real reason why he had to go out there Everybody loved Aunt Maya, but the lovely worinned to hiht They didn’t call Aunt Maya the Bel She never meant any harm, mind you, but she’d been known to breach the family trust wall a few times “by accident” Her otten the “don’t say anything to anyone” part of conversations before
The last thing Chase wanted was for his father to know that at this stage in his life, the long-running feud between the Jackson and the Belmont families was still as fierce as ever And now, the Jacksons had their people trying to dig up dirt and stir up trouble over a piece of prireat-great grandfather, Ernest Jackson, I, was a real estate tycoon back in the day Ernest Jackson I, who founded the Jackson Inn Bed & Breakfast chain, and Jonah Belmont I, who founded the first Belmont Hotel, which later became the Belmont Hotel & Resort, were best friends and business partners but so between them To this day, the Belmont brothers didn’t know all the details, and Jonah III decided not to tell everything to his sister Maya, though Maya did know some details of ent down and how it related to a curse and a dark family secret Every time she tried to talk about it—the little she knew—Jonah would hush her up
Based on the tidbits Aunt Maya let slip, Chase illing to bet itto do with a deadly love triangle between Ernest, Jonah, and a lovely woone from friends to enemies quickly and became rivals Then came the disputes over land from Ontario to British Colombia
“No, it can’t wait until next year, Aunt Maya,” Chase said, checking his watch “I’ to Dad about it, okay?”
“Don’t say anything to your father?” Aunt Maya echoed, disappointed “Well, what am I supposed to say when you’re not at fa weekly appreciation events? That you’re wearing your invisibility cloak?”
“Very funny, Auntie Just say I had urgent hts or not”
Which was the truth The BelmontThe massive structure of the estate, built over the last couple centuries, was befitting of a royal family with its seventy-five rooms, four separate quarters and thousands of acres of land Not to es on the estate, a grand pool, golf course and ardens
“I suppose you have a point, but you know he likes when you boys check in on him once in a while”
“I will I’ll fly out here when I can On weekends Just let et the business wrapped up while I can”
“Where are you going, exactly?”
Chase exchanged looks with Brandon before answering “Well, I’ to the resort ranch”
“Oh, no Are we having trouble with those Jacksons again?”
Oh, boy That’s exactly what Chase was trying to avoid His dear old auntie was a bit too s’s okay Please don’t tell Dad”
“What are those no-good people up to this tiain, is it?”
“Aunt Maya Please, let me deal with this And it’s called a ranch, not horse land The situation’s not as bad as you make it out to be” Actually, it’s et his auntie all worked up about it
As if an idea breezed into her htfully for a moment “Well, you know, since you’re out there at the ranch resort, why don’t you see if you irl? I heard the small town is really-”
“Aunt Maya!” Chase said, narrowing his eyes “Don’t even go there”