Chapter 5- You Just Cost Us Gold.

ANNA’S POV

After Ethan left, I walked back and forth in my room. My mind was racing. I thought about the land, the gold mine, and my grandfather. I had all the pieces, but I couldn't make sense of them.

If what Ethan said was true, then Jack's interest in me wasn't about love. He wanted to own and control me. He wanted the land and the gold mine. This thought made my stomach hurt.

I couldn't sit still. I needed answers. There was only one person who could help me - my father.

I found him in his study. He was sitting behind his big oak desk. He looked up when I came in. He smiled, and his face lit up. This usually made me feel happy and safe. But this time, it didn't calm me down.

“Anna, everything okay?” he asked, his brow furrowing as he noticed my tense expression.

“No,” I said bluntly, closing the door behind me. “Dad, I need to ask you something. It’s important.”

“Of course.” He leaned back in his chair, giving me his full attention. “What is it?”

“The gold mine,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. “The one Granddad owned. What happened to it?”

My father stiffened.

“Why are you asking about the mine?” he said cautiously.

“Because I need to know,” I insisted. “Please, Dad, tell me everything. I’ve already found pieces of it, and I can’t handle being in the dark anymore.”

“Alright,” he said. “But it’s a long story.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I replied, sitting down across from him.

My father looked at his hands before he started talking. "The gold mine was very important to our family. It made us proud, but it also caused a lot of pain."

He took a deep breath. "Your grandfather found the mine when he was young. He worked hard to make it successful, and when he did, it brought us wealth and comfort. But it also caused problems between family members."

I asked, "What do you mean?"

He looked up at me, his eyes sad. "Your grandfather had two sons, me and my older brother Michael. Usually, the oldest son gets everything. But your grandfather thought I was better at business, so he gave mine to me."

I was surprised. "He didn't leave anything to Uncle Michael?"

My father shook his head. "No, he didn't leave him mine. This made Michael very angry. He felt like our father had cheated him. He never forgave him, and they never spoke again."

I asked, "Why was it such a big deal?"

He sighed. "It wasn't just about the mine. It was about what the mine represented. It was our family's legacy. By giving it to me, our father was saying I was the better son."

I felt a knot in my chest. "What happened to the mine?" I asked my father.

He sighed. "I took care of it for a while, but the gold started to run out. So, I decided to sell it. Or at least, I thought I did."

I looked at him curiously. "What do you mean you 'thought' you sold it?"

He hesitated before answering. "I sold the land to a company, but they didn't buy the rights to the minerals underneath. Those rights stayed in our family."

I was surprised. "And then what happened?"

He looked at me with a serious expression. "When you were born, I gave those rights to you."

I stared at him, stunned. "What? You're saying I own the rights to the gold in that mine?"

He nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"But why would anyone care about it?" I asked, my anger rising again.

My father shrugged. "I don't know. But Anna, the gold is gone. There's nothing left there. It's just an empty piece of land now."

I thought about this for a moment. "Are you really sure that land is worthless? That it's all gone?"

My father looked at me sadly. “It's not entirely worthless. There’s always been a rumor—one your grandfather believed until the day he died—that there’s another vein of gold deep in the mine, one that was never found. But it's just a rumor. No one has ever gotten there. Not even me.”

The room felt like it was spinning. My marriage, my divorce, everything I thought I knew about my life—it was all built on a lie.

I had trusted Jack. I had loved him. And now I realized that to him, I had never been anything more than a means to an end.

****

SARAH'S POV

I was boiling. I don't know what I'd do if I saw him. "JACK!" I yelled as I walked into the house. "Where the hell are you?"

He came out of the living room, a look of annoyance on his face. "Can you stop shouting? No one knows I'm in pine but you can as well shout and announce it."

Was he playing with me? If he knew what I felt like doing to him at this moment I'm sure he wouldn't even have the guts to face me.

"Can you explain to me the stunt you just pulled?" I half yelled.

He rolled his eyes and I swear, I almost poked them out.

"It's just a divorce Sarah. I got sick of the whole thing. Plus the plan wasn't forthcoming. I mean how was she going to sign a land she knows nothing about to me. It's all just...

"You should have been more patient. I had it all figured out."

He shrugged. "Then figure something out again. This isn't a big deal. Besides, we can now be together, isn't that what you wanted?"

I took a step closer to him. "It isn't? It's not? If only you knew what your rash decision has cost us."

"Land! That's all. We could get it elsewhere."

I shook my head, bittered by his ignorance. "Just land? It's more than that Jack. It's Gold! Lots of it jack!”