PART 7 – The Woman Who Had Worked for the Ashfords

The breakthrough came from someone we had almost forgotten.

Her name was Mrs. Alvarez, and she had worked as a housekeeper at the Ashford estate for more than thirty years.

My mother remembered her as a kind woman who sometimes brought leftover food to our house when I was little.

We found her living in a small apartment across town.

At first, she refused to discuss the Ashfords.

She said she was old, tired, and unwilling to become involved in a family dispute.

Then I showed her the photograph.

She stared at my father's face for a long time.

"Thomas was a good man," she finally said.

I leaned forward.

"Do you know what happened to him?"

Mrs. Alvarez folded her hands.

"I know he was afraid during his final weeks at the estate."

She explained that Thomas had discovered records showing that several properties had been transferred into companies controlled by Richard Ashford.

Some transfers involved families who had never knowingly agreed to sell.

Thomas believed the paperwork had been manipulated.

He planned to take the records to an independent investigator.

"Did he ever leave the estate with a briefcase?" I asked.

Mrs. Alvarez nodded.

"One night. But he came back before dawn."

My heart raced.

"What happened then?"

"He went to the greenhouse. He stayed there for nearly an hour. When he returned, he looked relieved."

"Did he say anything?"

She thought for a moment.

"He told me that if anyone ever came asking about the old property files, I should remember that the truth was not always kept in the main house."

I looked at Daniel.

The old greenhouse.

The brass key.

The missing supporting agreement.

Everything seemed connected.

Mrs. Alvarez agreed to provide a statement to Daniel, but she insisted that we protect her privacy and follow the legal process.

Before we left, she caught my hand.

"Your father loved you very much," she said.

I swallowed hard.

"I wish I'd had more time with him."

"So did he."

Click here to continue reading: PART 8: Victoria’s Unexpected Offer