The Glasshouse Covenant
In coastal Maine, botanist Hannah Vance faces off against her stepmother's corporate takeover of her late mother's botanical glasshouse—uncovering a legal safeguard built decades ago.
Fictional story. Contains mild themes of family conflict, emotional betrayal, and legal disputes over inheritance.Chapter 1: The Glasshouse Gate
I arrived at the coastal bluffs five minutes after the evening gala began. The sea air carried the bitter salt of the Atlantic, but around the wrought-iron gates of the Vance Botanical Conservatory, the air tasted of crushed jasmine, damp earth, and heavy perfume.
My boots left faint impressions in the damp gravel. I was still wearing my working canvas jacket and clay-dusted jeans from the lower nursery. In my right pocket, the brass key to the rare specimen vault felt cold against my knuckles.