Chapter 4 - BLOOD MONEY
By noon, three lawyers were in Richard’s hospital room.
By one, everyone hated everyone.
Richard’s attorney, Marcus Hale, read the old agreement twice.
“It may be enforceable.”
Audrey laughed sharply.
“May be?”
“It depends on how acknowledgment is defined.”
Julian sat across from her.
His wedding ring was gone.
So was the man she thought she knew.
Lenora stood behind him.
Richard looked twenty years older.
Audrey crossed her arms.
“How much does he get?”
Marcus hesitated.
“If the agreement holds? Roughly twenty-four million in current value.”
Julian let out a slow breath.
Audrey watched him.
“You look disappointed.”
He turned.
“What?”
“You were hoping for more?”
“Stop.”
“You asked what happens when Dad dies ten minutes after finding out he was your father.”
“I was in shock.”
“You calculate well under pressure.”
Julian stood.
“You humiliated my mother in public.”
“She tried to let us commit incest for real estate.”
Lenora snapped, “I did not.”
Audrey turned.
“You knew.”
“I planned to stop the wedding.”
“You had forty-five minutes.”
“I was trying to get Richard to sign first.”
The room went quiet.
Audrey stared at her.
“Thank you for proving my point.”
Lenora looked away.
Julian rubbed his face.
“This is insane.”
Audrey walked closer.
“You want to know the worst part?”
He met her eyes.
“I really loved you.”
His expression cracked.
For a moment, he looked like the Julian she knew.
Then it was gone.
“I loved you too.”
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
“Before or after you knew my last name?”
His jaw tightened.
“That’s unfair.”
“Answer me.”
“I knew who your family was.”
“Of course you did.”
“That doesn’t mean I dated you for money.”
“No. But now that you know how much money there is, you’re asking questions.”
Marcus interrupted.
“There’s another problem.”
Everyone turned.
“The agreement has a condition.”
Lenora frowned.
“What condition?”
Marcus held up the document.
“Julian only receives the Harbor Street interest if Richard dies acknowledging him as his lawful biological son and no fraud occurred in establishing paternity.”
Julian looked at Richard.
“So we do a DNA test.”
Richard stared at Lenora.
Lenora’s face went blank.
Audrey noticed.
“Mom?” Julian said.
Lenora didn’t answer.
“Mom.”
She swallowed.
“We don’t need a test.”
“Yes, we do.”
“No.”
Julian stepped toward her.
“Why not?”
Richard closed his eyes.
Audrey’s pulse quickened.
“Because,” Audrey said slowly, “she’s not sure.”
Lenora glared at her.
“Stay out of this.”
Audrey almost laughed.
“You brought it into my wedding.”
Julian looked at Lenora.
“Is he my father?”
“Yes.”
“Then prove it.”
Lenora’s mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Julian’s voice dropped.
“Who else was there?”
She turned away.
Julian stared.
“Who?”
Richard spoke quietly.
“Thomas Mercer.”
Julian froze.
“My legal father?”
Lenora closed her eyes.
Richard continued.
“She was seeing both of us.”
Lenora spun around.
“You were married.”
“So were you.”
“You told me your marriage was over.”
“And you told Thomas the same thing about us.”
Julian slammed his hand against the wall.
“Everybody shut up!”
Silence.
He looked at his mother.
“So I may not even be his son.”
Lenora whispered, “You are.”
“Then do the test.”
She said nothing.
Julian walked toward the door.
Audrey watched him go.
Then Richard whispered, “Audrey.”
She turned.
He looked frightened again.
“Lock your apartment tonight.”
“What?”
“Why?”
Richard glanced at Lenora.
Then at Marcus.
“Because somebody broke into my office last week.”
Marcus frowned.
“You never told me that.”
Richard kept his eyes on Audrey.
“They weren’t looking for money.”
Audrey’s stomach tightened.
“What were they looking for?”
“The original paternity agreement.”
A cold silence filled the room.
May you like
Richard swallowed.
“And they found it.”
