Chapter 8: The Agreement They Wanted Me to Sign
At 9:45 the following morning, I arrived at the estate office.
I hadn't told Natalie that I had already met with Daniel Brooks. I hadn't mentioned the letter, the recording, or the name of the independent trustee.
I wanted to see what they would put in front of me.
My father was waiting inside.
Natalie sat beside him wearing a pale blue suit. A leather document folder rested on the table.
She stood when I entered.
"Adrian! Finally.""
I glanced at my watch.
"I'm fifteen minutes early.""
She laughed.
"You're impossible.""
My father didn't smile.
"Sit down. We have something important to discuss.""
I took the chair opposite them.
Natalie opened the folder.
"These are just routine documents connected to the wedding and the estate.""
I looked at the first page.
It was titled *Post-Marital Asset Management Agreement*.
I read the heading twice.
"What is this?""
My father leaned forward.
"It's a standard arrangement. Once you're married, Natalie will assist with certain family administrative matters.""
"Which matters?""
"Property oversight. Financial coordination. Some trust-related responsibilities.""
I turned the page.
There were clauses granting Natalie authority to represent me in specific financial transactions.
Another section authorized her to access certain estate accounts.
A third gave her the right to participate in decisions involving the transfer or sale of designated properties.
I looked at my father.
"Why would Natalie need authority over my assets?""
"Because you're getting married.""
"Marriage doesn't automatically make someone my financial representative.""
My father sighed.
"Adrian, don't turn a simple arrangement into a legal debate.""
Natalie reached across the table.
"Darling, I don't want control over your money. I want us to operate as a team.""
I looked at her hand.
Then at the document.
"Why does this agreement mention the Cole Family Protection Trust?""
Her fingers withdrew.
"It's just administrative language.""
"Really?""
My father intervened.
"Your grandfather's trust is complicated. Someone needs to make sure the family assets are properly managed.""
"Someone like you?""
He frowned.
"Someone like us.""
I turned another page.
A clause near the bottom caught my attention.
It stated that upon marriage, I would authorize a designated representative to exercise certain administrative powers pending a review of the trust.
The designated representative was Natalie Warren.
And the effective date was the wedding day.
I looked up.
"Who drafted this?""
My father answered immediately.
"Our family legal department.""
"Which attorney?""
"Does it matter?""
"Yes.""
He leaned back.
"Adrian, you're making this unnecessarily difficult.""
I closed the folder.
"I'm not signing anything today.""
Natalie's smile disappeared.
"Why?""
"Because I want my own attorney to review it.""
My father slapped his hand against the table.
"Your own attorney? I'm your father!""
"And I'm an adult.""
He stared at me.
Natalie quickly placed her hand on his arm.
"Richard, please.""
Then she turned to me.
"Adrian, sweetheart, I think you've misunderstood. This is supposed to protect our future.""
"Then you won't mind waiting.""
She looked down at the papers.
"How long?""
"As long as necessary.""
My father stood.
"You're embarrassing yourself.""
I picked up my jacket.
"No. I'm being careful.""
As I reached the door, Natalie spoke again.
"Adrian, wait.""
I turned.
Her expression had softened.
"Can we talk privately?""
I nodded.
My father left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Natalie walked toward me.
"What's happening to us?""
I looked at her.
"What do you mean?""
"You've been distant. You've been questioning everything I do. You're defending Elena. You're making my life miserable over a housekeeper.""
I said nothing.
She took my hands.
"I know I can be demanding sometimes. But you know how much pressure I've been under.""
"Pressure from what?""
"Your family. The wedding. Expectations.""
"Nobody forced you to pour wine on the floor and make Elena clean it twice.""
Her hands went cold.
For the first time, she didn't immediately have an answer.
Then she stepped back.
"You saw that?""
"Yes.""
She stared at me.
"How long have you known?""
"Long enough.""
Her expression changed.
The softness disappeared.
"Then you should understand why I was upset.""
I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Upset?""
"Elena was becoming disrespectful. She needed to understand boundaries.""
"By pouring wine on a clean floor?""
Natalie crossed her arms.
"You're twisting everything.""
I watched her carefully.
"Did you search Elena's room?""
She didn't answer.
"Did you accuse her of stealing documents?""
"She was responsible for the missing papers.""
"Do you have proof?""
Natalie looked away.
I took a step closer.
"Did my father offer her fifty thousand dollars to leave?""
Her head snapped up.
"Who told you that?""
The question answered itself.
I stared at her.
"So it's true.""
She backed toward the table.
"Adrian, I can explain.""
"Then explain.""
She looked at the closed door.
Then she lowered her voice.
"Your father was trying to protect the family.""
"From what?""
"From people who don't understand how complicated the estate is.""
I almost laughed.
"Elena?""
Natalie shook her head impatiently.
"Your mother.""
The room went silent.
I felt my chest tighten.
"What did you just say?""
Natalie seemed to realize she had gone too far.
She quickly corrected herself.
"I mean the documents your mother left behind. They have created problems for years.""
I stared at her.
"What problems?""
She pressed her lips together.
I approached the table.
"Tell me what you know about my mother's agreement.""
Natalie looked frightened now.
Not guilty.
Frightened.
"Adrian, please. Don't do this.""
"Do what?""
"Dig up things that should have stayed buried.""
I stared at her.
"Why?""
She shook her head.
Then she whispered something I would remember for the rest of my life.
"Because your mother wasn't supposed to leave you anything.""
I stood motionless.
Natalie covered her mouth.
She had said it.
And she knew it.
I walked toward the door.
"Adrian, wait!""
I stopped.
"There's something you need to understand.""
I turned.
She was crying now.
"Your father and I didn't plan for this to happen.""
I looked at her.
"Didn't plan for what?""
She swallowed.
"Your grandfather changed the trust after your mother discovered what Richard had done.""
My heart pounded.
"What had he done?""
Natalie looked toward the door again.
Then she whispered:
"He had already taken money from the protected estate accounts.""
I stared at her.
"How much?""
She shook her head.
"I don't know.""
"You're lying.""
"I'm not.""
"Then why were you helping him?""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Because I thought we could fix it before anyone found out.""
I stepped backward.
The wedding documents.
The missing papers.
The false accusations against Elena.
It was all connected.
But I still didn't understand one thing.
If Natalie was only trying to protect my father, why had she been so desperate to remove Elena?
Before I could ask, she grabbed my sleeve.
"Adrian, please. There's another document. One your father doesn't know I have.""
I looked at her.
"What document?""
She opened her handbag and removed a folded sheet.
It contained a bank transfer authorization.
The amount was nearly four million dollars.
The account holder was the Cole Family Protection Trust.
And the beneficiary was a company registered in Natalie's name.
I stared at the page.
"Why is your company receiving money from the family trust?""
Natalie began crying harder.
"Because Richard promised me that after the wedding, everything would belong to us.""
I looked at her.
"Everything?""
She nodded.
May you like
Then she said the one thing that made me realize my father was not simply hiding a financial mistake.
"He told me that once you signed the agreement, he could finally remove the restrictions your mother placed on the trust.""
