did no
, she saw the signatures at th
n Ben
d Blac
heir families long before
ocument so many times that she could r
mportant pages
story and legal effect still required verification. The document established
tinction
eplacing one man's version
lock, Adri
to speak
do
plete copy of the document br
er signed
kno
r had anything to do
ver discussed
y convenient
d why you do
yo
es
o immediate that
ued. "But I will ask you to look at the
reed to
se she be
s beginning to matte
-
wood Tower, Adrian was wa
h he had slept eve
filings, old correspondence, an
the document
es ago. It participated in several early ventures, includ
my mo
d a beneficial interest
hy
n't k
studie
t you a mystery involving my mother, and yo
invent an explanation simply t
how reasonabl
er to fight a ma
pened to
rds suggest the rights were transferred. Othe
ants my signa
ed any claim you have through your mother. Whether that would legally succeed is a questio
r settle into s
merely betray
her ignorance of her own
t a full in
ll ha
resent for every meetin
ree
ations with Julia
ree
mily benefited from what happene
held he
re with a lawful
a romant
nce that everything
ent she could ac
a no
ave a star
losed th
hing else we ne
marri
es
exha
. You want an
her the proposal is
helps you secure
rtl
t you're
another
wa
e knows your finances, your relationships, and every insecurity he spent six years teach
xpression
her man deciding w
't say
the marriage so
nsidered
t's an arrangement between two pe
tte
ement. Nothing will be signed un
the document
e she barely knew. She had imagined a quiet future with Julian, perhaps
ture wa
been taken from her, or she could use the opportunity i
t confuse opport
"And if I agree, it will be because th
an n
ctly how it
-
f the disputed trust had begu
questions were historical and would not affect the acquisition.
ent mentioned
xactly who had cr
d her re
the first
came with
t you're risking. Me
ised her not to meet Julian privately
decl
arrived se
same mistake. She tru
red at th
ded the message
a subject she wasn't supposed to question. Now
ld not
-
an received an envelope del
no retur
and a photograph of Richard Black
e photograph, som
happen. The second ben
d the sent
called
ered imm
ive something
o you
ceived the sa
ice wa
ked down a
e second b
n't k
her have any l
of. She never s
find the complete
ree
ke for seve
ed, "Do you still
ked at the
er about strategy, protection, and the
es
en
u still want the arrangement af
losed h
not tr
ot in lov
placed that cheque on his desk, she fe
my lawyer tomor
e time y
ded th
stood in his office staring at
t it hidde
se had sent a
hone
ithout checki
ning," the
kno
ood, the second benefici
ned his grip
ure she neve
ler hes
she alre
t the photograp
h bigger problem th
ed the
s, Julian was no longer af
ppen when Amara discovered who
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