Victoria’s father’s face tightened. One of the older relatives near the wall stiffened. Peter’s father frowned as though he already disliked where this was going.Barrister Timothy was not simply some family lawyer who drafted ordinary agreements and settled minor disputes. He was Joseph’s legal executor in the deepest sense of the word, the man entrusted with wills, ownership transfers, trust protections, succession rights, removal clauses, asset shields, and all the private legal architecture that held the family’s internal structure together.When Joseph involved Barrister Timothy directly, it meant he was not speaking emotionally.It meant the matter had already entered paper, law, and enforceable consequence.Timothy did not wait for Joseph to explain.His voice came across the speaker with a practiced calm that made the room even colder.“I just finished drafting everything you asked me to do,” he said. “The termination clauses regarding any family member’s will, rights, privile

Victoria’s father became even more furious the moment he heard the suggestion that Ethan might one day inherit the family’s wealth.His face turned red, and the veins on his neck stood out as he stepped away from the table. His hands curled into tight fists, and for a few seconds, he seemed unable to find the right words. The thought had struck him too deeply. It was not only the idea of Ethan receiving the family’s property that angered him; it was the thought of everything they had built being placed in the hands of the man they had treated as worthless.“No,” he said at last, his voice shaking with rage. “That will never happen. Not while I am alive.”The room became quiet again.Victoria looked at him, but her father was no longer looking at anyone. His eyes were fixed on the floor as though he was trying to picture the future Joseph had threatened to create. The thought of losing his place in the family had already frightened him, but the possibility of Ethan receiving the family

Victoria stood outside the ruined restaurant, staring at the burned walls and broken windows. The sight made her chest feel heavy. Ethan had worked hard to build the place, yet within a few minutes, Dennis and his friend had destroyed a large part of it.She looked at the damaged entrance again and slowly released the breath she had been holding.Should she help him?The thought came to her without warning.Perhaps she could give him some money. It would not have to be much, but it might help him begin the repairs. At least, he could use it to fix the most important parts of the restaurant and make the place safe again.Victoria pressed her lips together.No.That would be a bad idea.If she gave Ethan money, he might misunderstand her reason. He might think she was trying to find her way back into his life. He might believe that she was using the destroyed restaurant as an excuse to get close to him again.She did not want that.Their marriage was over. They had already gone through

Bushman Junior leaned closer to look at the picture on Victoria’s phone.The moment his eyes fell on it, his face changed.He had been calm before. He had been firm. He had spoken to Victoria like she was a stranger who had no right to ask questions about Ethan. But now, as he stared at the wedding picture, the confidence on his face slowly disappeared.His eyes widened.For a few seconds, he said nothing.Victoria watched him closely, waiting for him to finally accept the truth. The picture was clear. It showed her standing beside Ethan on their wedding day. It was not a picture that could be easily explained away. She was in a white dress, while Ethan stood next to her in his dark suit.They looked like a married couple.Because they had been married.Bushman Junior’s hand slowly dropped from his side.He looked at the picture again.Then he looked at Victoria.The shock in his eyes was so clear that Victoria almost felt satisfied. She had expected him to apologize. She expected him

Victoria stood still for a few seconds after Damien gave her the confirmation she had been waiting for.He had seen Ethan at Sky Bank.He had seen Megan speaking to him with respect.Not ordinary respect.Not the kind of respect a bank employee would show to an important customer.Damien had made it clear that Megan had treated Ethan carefully, almost as if she was afraid of saying the wrong thing in his presence.Victoria’s mind became unsettled again.Everything was beginning to connect, but at the same time, nothing made sense. Her grandfather had defended Ethan. Bushman Junior had practically treated Ethan like someone untouchable. Now Damien was saying that Ethan had been sitting inside Sky Bank while Megan spoke to him respectfully.Who exactly was Ethan?What had she failed to see during the time they were married?Victoria held the phone close to her ear and spoke in a calm but firm voice.“Then I understand,” she said. “No problem. I seriously have no problem with it.”Damien