Hans cleared his throat and explained that the matter concerned the recent passing of her great-uncle, Rupert Fischer, in Germany. “You are the last surviving direct descendant of the Fischer lineage and the sole beneficiary of the Lumina Trust,” he stated with professional gravity.
Cassie frowned in confusion because her father had always described their European relatives as simple, hard-working people who had lost everything during the war. “I have never heard of a Lumina Trust, and my father never mentioned anything about an inheritance or family wealth,” she argued.
Hans explained that her father had intentionally distanced himself from the family legacy to ensure that Cassie grew up with a sense of humility and normal values. “He wanted you to build a life based on your own merit rather than the weight of a massive ancestral fortune,” the lawyer added.
Cassie looked up at the water-stained ceiling of her motel room and felt a hysterical laugh bubbling up in her throat. “Just how much money are we talking about, Mr. Schmidt, because I am currently sitting in a room that smells like bleach and desperation?” she asked.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line followed by the soft rustle of paper being turned. “After the various international estate taxes are settled, the liquid assets total approximately nine hundred million dollars,” Hans said.
He went on to list a portfolio of luxury properties in the Swiss Alps, a historic vineyard in France, and a controlling interest in a global logistics conglomerate. The phone slipped from Cassie’s hand and bounced off the carpeted floor before she scrambled to pick it back up.
“This has to be some kind of elaborate prank or a cruel trick being played by my ex-husband,” she stammered into the receiver. “I assure you this is quite real, but there is a strict legal condition that must be met in order for the transfer to occur,” Hans continued.
He informed her that she was required to appear in person at their Zurich headquarters by Friday at five o’clock to sign the official succession documents. Cassie felt her heart sink as she realized today was already Tuesday and she had no way to leave the country.