Chapter 3 - The Clause
I laughed because the alternative was screaming.
“My baby is not in a filing cabinet.”
Victor did not smile.
“No. But the future of the company is.”
Adrian dragged a hand over his face.
“Dad, stop talking like we’re in a boardroom.”
“We are in a boardroom.”
“My wife was just poisoned.”
“And that is exactly why you need to listen.”
Victor opened a thin black folder.
Inside were copies of legal documents covered in yellow tabs.
He placed one in front of us.
I recognized the Cole family trust name from our prenuptial agreement.
I had never read this document.
Adrian had.
Judging by his face, he had not read all of it.
Victor pointed to a paragraph.
“When your grandfather created the Meridian Trust, he included a succession condition. Control of the family voting shares passes to the first direct descendant of Adrian’s generation when that child is born.”
I stared at him.
“You mean the baby?”
“Yes.”
Adrian shook his head.
“That makes no sense. A newborn can’t control a company.”
“The shares are held in guardianship until adulthood.”
“By whom?”
Victor looked at him.
“That depends on whether both parents remain legally competent.”
The room got very quiet.
I felt another cramp.
Not as strong as before.
Still enough to make me grip the chair.
The paramedic stepped closer, but I waved her off.
Adrian’s eyes stayed on the document.
“If one parent is declared incompetent?”
“The other parent becomes primary guardian of the voting trust.”
“And if both are?”
Victor didn’t answer fast enough.
“Someone else gets control.”
Adrian looked up slowly.
“Cassandra’s father.”
“Charles Vale has served as outside trustee for twenty-two years.”
“Cassandra could never inherit the shares herself. But if she created a guardianship crisis around your child, her father could control the voting block.”
She looked furious, not afraid.
Victor seemed to read my mind.
He took out another document.
I stared at it.
Adrian snatched it.
Adrian looked sick.
“And it was entered into a private family-court preparation file three weeks ago.”
Alive.
One of Victor’s security officers stepped inside.
“That was fast.”
“He’s not here for her.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
“Then who?”
May you like
The officer looked directly at me.
“He says he represents Mrs. Cole.”
