“Those items need to go through probate and require an official declaration of death for the other family members, but I can provide the keys and entry information to the house in the interim.” The attorney rushed out the comment as if he feared the room would turn on Aubrey or him.
“He knew you were alive?” I didn’t mean to ask the question. The words slipped out.
Aubrey smiled. “Interesting, right?”
Xavier had known Aubrey survived. But it was the things the note the lawyer was reading didn’t say that had my head spinning—Xavier knew Aubrey was theonlyone alive. The attorney didn’t mention a provision for Noah or Patrick and Victoria. Only Aubrey.
The room closed in on me. It was as if the walls pressed against my chest, squeezing, collapsing my lungs and stealing my breath.
“As for the family trust...” The attorney looked at me as he hesitated to deliver the news.
Oh, no. There was no way.
“This is an irrevocable family trust, which means the terms could have been modified by Xavier under certain circumstances but were not,” the attorney explained.
Isabel huffed. “Why are you drawing this out? Family means family, right?”
“The family trust includes Xavier’s house and the extensive grounds, as well as all of Xavier’s investment and banking accounts.” The attorney closed the file in front of him. “He established the family trust for the sole benefit of Jeremy Sato with Hanna Sato as trustee. He’s quite clear that he intentionally excluded other family members.”
There it was. The answer I dreaded.
The room let out a collective gasp. I could feel everyone turn to me. I closed my eyes, hoping to disappear or wake up or something. Anything but this.
Stella whistled. “That’s a lot of money.”
Tens of millions. Thirty-eight million the last time I heard. I knew because Xavier once tried to outline it all for me. I’d told him no. The memories of our financial arguments flashed in my mind.
Don’t act like you don’t care, Hanna. You played this game well. You should enjoy the proceeds.
I gagged. Almost doubled over right there in the conference room.
The attorney continued. “Hanna Sato will receive one percent of the trust’s assets annually as trustee compensation. There arespecific distribution terms for Jeremy Sato and rules his mother must follow and requirements about what happens with Xavier’s house and when.”
“That’s absurd,” Isabel said at a near yell. “This is a mistake. We aren’t related to her or that child.”
The attorney winced. “Well...”
After a beat of intense silence, I opened my eyes again. My vision remained blurred as if I’d been rubbing my eyes to the point of pain. I tried to focus on the bookshelf across the room. On the line of books with red bindings on the second shelf from the top. I couldn’t read the titles but I pretended.
Screaming echoed in my ears. It took me a second to realize the noise came from inside me. As they all shifted in their seats, I could imagine the confused and angry thoughts whirling through their minds.
“Not to state the obvious but a family trust requires the beneficiaries be family members,” Lukas said.
Every word condemned me. Every shocked glance judged my life and my choices. Worse, they judged Jeremy.
“Yes,” the attorney said. “There is verification Jeremy Sato qualifies as a recipient. I can share that at a later time.”
I knew all the details of how. I remembered the covert DNA test done using my hair and my brush without my knowingto protect the family from a con artist. That was Xavier’s excuse for his behavior.
He promised me. He said he would protect Jeremy, and he broke his vow.
Damn him.
“Priceless.” Aubrey started laughing, low and soft at first,then louder, into a rich, amused sound. “It’s almost as if perfect little Hanna might not be so perfect after all.”
Nowhere near perfect. I never claimed to be that. I’d state it now, but the room wouldn’t stop spinning. Heat washed through me.
“Perhaps there’s something you’d like to share with the rest of the class.” Aubrey’s sarcastic voice shut down all the muttering. “Provide us with a juicy detail or two to clarify the trust language, yes?”
