a's
n gave me a rundown o
Vincent, smaller portions held by Victor
to me, I was effectively the largest
s were managing Vincent
volved as well-Vincent's wife and
asing, neither was thrilled
u properly," Harrison said. "He wanted to reac
Syl
caught the flicker. "Mrs. Smith is.
ion: she
tes. Sprawling stone and glass set among manicured la
n. A fountain in the circular dri
the threshold, somethi
y door. "Welcome
ord still f
I couldn't help thinking-maybe this was e
-
t the entrance when a
s Sm
aked hair, impeccably tailored. Something familiar
r Smith. Y
s hand. "A
ce, then back at me, his expression carefully
e been running things here for a long time. They're not going to giv
ything. You have every legal right to be he
are you helping me?
y brother in every way that mattered
lt my lips twitch. "Than
-
deliers, marble floors, oil paintings worth more than
rs. Smith and Mr. N
windows overlooking manicured gardens,
t her throat and wrists, two servants at attention behind her. On the sofa sat N
ons and withdrew. The silenc
ylvia asked, though sh
es
me now. No need
nd this didn't feel
id, settling across from me. "We
ns and partnerships cannot be entrusted to someone with no experience in our world. We're prepared to offer you one hundred milli
d ever imagined. But nowhere near
hment of all shares in Smith family holdings, op
affair. You spent your childhood in an orphanage. One hund
ipped with f
itimate daughter as its public heir. You're still Vincent's bloo
sound like
n across the tab
cument down.
anded like
fway to her lips. Natha
legitimacy-it cares about blood. Vincent left a will, hired a lawyer, had DNA
a sharp clink. "You may have the paperwork. But you do
your decis
ack territories. Our relationships are delicate, built over decades. One wrong
can fight for wh
n this world for five minutes. Do you really
up the
t hundred million. You're offering me one hundred million-barely one percent of what
walked tow
or by family rules-I'm willing. But I won't
d son. Under the law, your inheritance rights come after mine. Are you really suggesti
sil
ening into something cold and dangerous
r," Nath
alized from the shadows-massive, stone-faced, moving with
ively calm. "I suggest you cooper
directly in front of me. "If you're u
eart hammered. "My price? You can't afford it. Vinc
ice-cold. "Then we'll hav
able. The other forced me into the chair, pinning my shoulders. I stru
ows, her back to me. Like she
the document and
to h
own onto the paper. I tried to pull aw
re going to force my sig
awed at
"You can't do thi
ted from the window, bored. "D
s. Nathan was seconds away f
lor doors ex
ning-wood splinteri
one f
by half a dozen others in dark tactical gear. The
ur-with broad shoulders and a bu
that could have been carved from granite.
swept across the room with the kind of cold calculation t
nstantly, stumbling back
n wen
ing on me. Something flickered in his eye
t, I couldn
a low, lethal growl that
's M
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