The Last Inheritance

Chapter Three

Elias Kane’s knuckles ached, still red from the punch he’d landed on Trent’s jaw.

A car engine growled outside, and Elias heard tires rolling over gravel in the alley.

His heart pounded as he walked to the window and peeked through the cracked glass. Down below, Vivian’s black SUV sat under a streetlight. 

Trent was leaning on the car, his face swollen with bruises. He shouted orders like he was in charge.

Four large men stood with him—bigger than the last ones. They cracked their knuckles and stared up at Elias’s building.

“He’s up there!” Vivian yelled. “That thief attacked my son! Go drag him out!”

Elias’s stomach turned. They weren’t done. They were back—and this time, they wanted revenge.

Noise filled the neighborhood outside Elias’s door.

Vivian’s voice cut through the silent neighborhood. “He’s a thief! A brute!” she shouted, calling her hired thugs to attack again.

Elias stood still with his heart racing. He had only hit Trent to protect his mother’s ring, but now Vivian was making it sound like he was the criminal.

Heavy footsteps pounded closer—the goons were coming back for him.

Elias quickly grabbed a cracked baseball bat from under the couch. It was the only weapon he had.

The door shook as someone banged on it hard. “Open up, Kane!” one of them shouted.

Elias gripped the bat tightly, ready to swing. He knew he was outnumbered, but he wasn’t going down without a fight.

A sharp whistle cut through all the noise.

“Back off!” a woman's calm but firm voice ordered. The banging on the door stopped.

Elias slowly opened the door, still holding the bat, and saw a woman standing in the hallway. It was Lena Voss—Mara’s cousin, the one no one talked much about.

She wore a leather jacket, her short dark hair neat. Two tough-looking men stood beside her, their hands near hidden weapons. They stared down Vivian’s goons without saying a word.

Lena gave a slight smirk. “Vivian, tell your men to stand down,” she said. “You’re just making a fool of yourself.”

Vivian’s face tightened with anger, her fur coat shaking as she pointed at Elias.

“He attacked my son!” she screamed. “He’s a monster!”

Her bodyguards—three big men in cheap suits, started to move, ready to fight. But Lena’s crew stepped forward too, their hands twitching near hidden weapons.

“Your son’s a bully,” Lena said calmly. “And you’re messing with the wrong people.”

Vivian’s men paused, looking at Lena’s group. They knew her name carried weight in the city’s darker circles.

Slowly, the goons stepped back, lowering their fists.

Elias slowly lowered the bat.

Lena? What was she doing here? He barely knew her—he’d only seen her once at a Voss family dinner, where she’d argued with Mara and stormed out early.

Why was she helping him now?

Before he could say anything, the sound of screeching tires came from outside.

A black SUV pulled up, and Mara Voss stepped out, her fancy coat blowing in the wind. Carla, her assistant, followed close behind, holding her phone.

Mara’s sharp eyes landed on Trent, who was leaning against the wall with blood on his lip.

“What happened?” she asked, her voice sharp but a little shaky.

Vivian hurried to Mara and grabbed her arm.

“Your ex husband’s out of control!” she cried. “He attacked Trent for no reason—and he stole your money!”

Trent gave a dramatic nod, holding his side.

“He’s crazy, Mara,” he said, groaning.

Vivian’s bodyguards backed him up.

“Kane threw the first punch,” one said. “Nearly took him out.”

Elias’s jaw tightened. They were lying.

He stepped forward, holding the bat at his side.

“They broke my mom’s ring,” he said, his voice rough. “Trent started the fight.”

Mara looked at Elias, then turned to Trent’s bloodied face, unsure who to believe.

Mara pressed her lips together. She knew Elias—he was quiet, calm, never violent. In their three years of marriage, he’d never laid a hand on anyone, not even when her family mocked him.

But now Trent was bleeding, and Vivian was crying. It didn’t look good.

“Is this true?” Mara asked softly, turning to Vivian.

Vivian gasped, clutching her chest.

“You’re doubting me? Your own mother?”

Trent pointed at Elias, his face twisted.

“He’s lying, Mara. He’s nothing but a thief.”

Carla scoffed under her breath.

“Typical janitor trash.”

Mara’s eyes narrowed slightly. Something didn’t feel right.

Lena stepped between Elias and the crowd, her smirk gone. “Mara, your family’s full of it,” she said. “Trent’s been after Elias ever since you left him. Look at the ring on the floor—your mom’s men smashed it.”

She looked down, where the mangled silver glinted. Mara’s gaze dropped and her breath caught. The ring—It was Elias’s mom’s ring—the one she had taken and sent back. Her fingers twitched like she wanted to reach for it, but she stayed still.

Vivian scoffed. “That junk? He stole it from you!”

Elias caught Mara eyes on him.

“Believe whatever you want,” he said quietly. “Your family is toxic.”

He looked at Lena, unsure but thankful.

“Why are you even helping me?” he asked.

Lena stepped closer and whispered, “You’re not just some janitor, Elias. That scar on your arm? It’s important. It’s a key. Trust me.”

Elias touched his sleeve, where an old scar from childhood still burned a little.

A key? What did she mean?

Before he could ask, Lena grabbed his arm and pulled him to the corner of the room.

“Come on,” she said. Her men stayed behind to cover them.

Mara stood still, confused. Elias, violent? It didn’t add up—but Trent was bleeding, and Vivian’s guards backed her story.

“Mara, do something!” Vivian snapped.

Mara’s jaw tightened. “Enough,” she said firmly. “Everyone, out.”

 She turned to Carla. “Take Trent to the hospital.”

Carla nodded, shooting Elias a glare.

 Vivian yelled, “You’re letting him go?”

Mara didn’t answer. Her eyes stayed on Elias as Lena led him out.

Outside, Lena’s team rushed Elias into an old, dented van parked down the street. In the distance, sirens began to wail—maybe the police were finally coming after the neighbor’s warning.

“Get in,” Lena said, sliding behind the wheel.

Elias paused and looked back. Mara stood near her SUV, her coat blowing in the wind. Her face was hard to read. Was she doubting her family—or just furious?

He climbed in, and the van door slammed shut. Lena hit the gas, speeding off.

“You’re in serious trouble now,” she said. “Vivian won’t stop.”

Elias’s scar began to itch again. Her words echoed in his mind—”scar, key”.

What did she mean?

Mara got into her SUV while Carla took the driver’s seat. Trent and Vivian were already on their way to the hospital with one of the guards.

She touched her pocket—the same one where she’d kept Elias’s ring before returning it while Lena’s voice echoed in her head: “Your family’s full of it.”

Mara leaned back in her seat. She had picked power over Elias. But his words wouldn’t leave her—“Your family’s poison.”

What if she’d been wrong about him?

Elias sat quietly in Lena’s van, his hands throbbed.

Lena glanced over. “Are you ready to find out who you really are?” she asked.

Elias didn’t reply. His fingers touched the scar on his arm. He was just a janitor, someone nobody cared about—so what was Lena talking about?.