If Graham and Celeste bought the forty-eight acres cheap through Cypress Meridian now, they would own it when the state announced the project.

The highway plans required an access corridor right through the ridge.

That meant the owner of the land would stand to receive a massive buyout.

A government buyout worth millions.

And they were trying to trick me into signing away my birthright before the news went public.

My phone buzzed on the wooden table, the vibration loud in the quiet carriage house.

The screen lit up with an incoming call.

It was Alden Vale.

I picked it up on the second ring.

“Alden,” I said, keeping my voice low.

“Are you still at the house?” his voice sounded strained, almost breathless.

“I’m in the carriage house,” I said. “I just found the Cypress Meridian papers, Alden. I know what Graham is doing.”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

“You shouldn’t have looked into that,” Alden said, his tone dropping to a whisper.

“He is trying to steal the land before the bypass is announced,” I said. “You knew about this, didn’t you?”