Chapter 13 - THE ALLIANCE OF THE DESPERATE
The next morning, the legal fallout from Daniel and Beatrice’s desperate partnership hit my email inbox in the form of a formal injunction filed at the county courthouse.
They were contesting the validity of the trust transfer, claiming mental incompetence on behalf of my grandfather and alleging forgery in the original quitclaim deeds. It was a desperate, grasping Hail Mary pass, but in civil court, even frivolous lawsuits could tie up assets in red tape for months.
Nathan arrived at the estate at nine o'clock sharp, stepping out of his Bentley with a thick leather portfolio under his arm. He walked up the marble steps where Evelyn had once ordered me around, and my security system buzzed him straight through the front doors.
I met him in the grand foyer, holding a printed copy of Daniel and Beatrice’s court filing.
"They're filing for an emergency injunction," I said, handing him the papers without preamble. "They claim my grandfather was mentally incapacitated when he signed the trust deed."
Nathan skimmed the first two pages, a cold smirk playing on his lips. "Amateurs. This filing wouldn't hold up in a traffic court, let alone a federal probate hearing. Daniel is paying some ambulance-chaser with whatever cash he managed to stash offshore before his accounts were frozen."
"It doesn't matter if it holds up legally," I replied, crossing my arms. "It matters that the press loves a messy family feud. Every tabloid from here to Manhattan is running headlines about the Vance family civil war."
"Let them talk," Nathan said smoothly, stepping closer. "Bad press only drives up the valuation of contested real estate when public interest peaks. More importantly, my legal team traced the funding source for Daniel’s new attorney."
"And?"
"It came from an anonymous wire transfer originating from an account tied to Julian Vance’s former law firm," Nathan said, his eyes locking onto mine. "Your ex-fiancé and your ex-husband are pooling resources from behind bars."
I let out a cold, humorless laugh. "Desperate men do desperate things. They think they can squeeze me out through attrition."
"Then let's accelerate the timeline," Nathan suggested, opening his portfolio. "We sign the merger agreement publicly at the noon press conference on the estate steps. We announce the full restitution fund, invalidate Daniel’s fraudulent claims with forensic proof, and take the corporate trust public before the week is out."
May you like
I looked at Nathan, then down at my bandaged hand. The scars were healing into silver lines.
"Let's do it," I said.
