THE PRICE OF inHERitance

Uncharted Territory

He pushed his plate away, his appetite gone. "I need answers," he muttered under his breath.

Lizzie glanced up from her cup of coffee. "You say something?"

"I need to know what she's planning," Ellie said, louder this time. "I can't just sit here and wait for whatever's coming next. We need to find out what Vivian's up to."

Lizzie frowned, setting her mug down. "And how exactly are we going to do that? She's not just going to tell us."

Ellie's mind raced, trying to think of a way to get the information they needed. Then, suddenly, it hit him. "Her office," he said, his eyes widening. "She keeps all her files and paperwork in her office. Maybe there's something in there."

Lizzie's eyebrows shot up. "You want to break into Vivian's office?"

"Not break in," Ellie corrected. "Just... look around. We need to know what she's planning."

Lizzie stared at him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Okay, fine. But we have to be careful. If she catches us, we're screwed."

---

That night, after Vivian had gone to bed, Ellie and Lizzie made their move. The house was quiet, the only sound the faint creaking of the floorboards as they tiptoed toward the office.

Ellie's heart raced as they reached the door. He glanced at Lizzie, who nodded in silent encouragement. Taking a deep breath, he turned the knob and pushed the door open.

The office was dark, the only light coming from the moon outside. Ellie flicked on a small desk lamp, casting a soft glow over the room. His eyes scanned the shelves, the filing cabinets, the piles of papers. Where would Vivian keep something so important?

Lizzie started rifling through the drawers while Ellie moved to the desk. He opened the top drawer and froze.

"What is it?" Lizzie whispered, glancing over.

Ellie pulled out a thick folder, his hands shaking. The label on the front read: **Project E.**

"Project E?" Lizzie whispered, her voice filled with curiosity. "What the hell is that?"

Ellie didn't answer. He flipped open the folder and began scanning the documents inside. His eyes widened as he read the words on the page.

"Lizzie," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "This... this was all planned from the beginning."

Lizzie moved closer, peering over his shoulder. "What are you talking about?"

Ellie pointed to the document. "Vivian didn't just decide to do this on a whim. This—this was her plan all along. She's been working with doctors, specialists... this 'Project E' is me. She's been planning my transformation for months. Maybe even years."

Lizzie's face paled. "Are you serious?"

Ellie nodded, his hands trembling. "This wasn't just about the inheritance. This was about turning me into... into something else. Something more than just a girl."

Lizzie's eyes widened in horror. "What do you mean?"

Ellie swallowed hard, flipping through the pages. "There's more to this. The surgery, the hormones... that was just the beginning. The final phase... it's something bigger. Something I don't even understand yet."

Lizzie's heart raced as she took the folder from Ellie and flipped through the documents herself. Her eyes scanned over medical jargon and notes from secret meetings. The more she read, the more her stomach churned.

"What the hell does she want from you?" Lizzie whispered, fear creeping into her voice.

Ellie's mind raced, the pieces slowly falling into place. "I don't know," he said, his voice barely audible. "But whatever it is... it's about to happen."

---

The next day, the tension in the house was palpable. Ellie and Lizzie tried to act normal, but every glance they exchanged was filled with unspoken questions. Vivian seemed oblivious, going about her day as if nothing had changed.

But Ellie knew better. Something was coming. Something big.

And as night fell, that sense of dread only grew. There was a knock on the door.