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She formed a pretend shaky smile to address the room. “I feel like we should start over. It wasn’t my intention to get so emotional, but that’s an undeniable effect of having my family torn apart. I’ve always tried to be reasonable. From the first moment I found out about Mia and our sweet Tobi, I’ve tried to do my best by them. We gave them a home. Help when her mother was dying. All the attention she deserved.”
She was building up to something, and it couldn’t be good. I shot a look at Scarlet who nudged the lawyer to her right.
The man cleared his throat. “Noted. We see no need to draw this out further. Are you satisfied that October is content and well cared for?”
Tobi cuddled into me, her face buried in my neck.
As if I’d do anything other than the best for my baby. She’d been the first priority from the moment I’d taken a pregnancy test.
Vanissa smiled in sympathy at us. “Yes, I’m satisfied. But you see how much she missed her family? Mia, be reasonable. Such rash actions as you’ve leapt to can’t be good for the girl’s mental health. What if a child psychologist reported that your abduction caused October trauma?”
My lips flew open. Trauma?
Scarlet’s lawyer spluttered. “Let’s be clear, no such report exists, nor is there any justification in ordering an assessment.”
At last, the true colours of Vanissa Winchester shone through. She brushed strands of glossy blonde hair back from her face and took an easy breath. “That remains to be seen. It might be very appropriate with regard to access or even custody arrangements.”
My heart cracked. I hugged Tobi closer. “You wouldn’t dare.”
I wouldn’t put my daughter through anything like that. She was already scared enough in this meeting.
From the end of the table, Scarlet glowered and took control. “This is over. The only thing remaining is for you to provide a copy of the will, Mrs Winchester.”
Vanissa indicated to one of her lawyers who extracted an envelope from a briefcase and placed it in the centre of the table.
“Here. I doubt you’ll find anything interesting in it.” Vanissa stood. Her gaze returned to me, cold and calculating. “The details of the board meeting to decide the fate of my late husband’s business are also in the envelope. Your attendance is required, Mia. With Greg and Simon, the three of you form the basis for the board and hold all the votes. To make things perfectly clear, decide in my sons’ favour and we need never speak again. Vote against them, and my lawyers will throw theworks at you that no team of apes you’ve somehow amassed will protect you against.”
Without another word, she left the room, Simon and her people going with her.
I slumped. Scarlet and her two lawyers collected the envelope and pulled out the contents, a fast conversation commencing about changing goalposts and underhand tactics. I could only focus on breathing. On comforting Tobi who I hoped hadn’t understood any of what Vanissa had threatened.
I expected Valentine to set his big hand on my shoulder, providing warmth where I only felt cold, but when I peeked around, he was holding his position, something troubled in his gaze.
“Can we go home?” I asked him.
He blinked, then nodded, moving around me with his team.
For the entirety of the trip back to the McRae estate, he barely said a word.
At the hangar, Finn and Leo were waiting on the helicopter, both of them there to see Valentine. He’d been a hero on the tour, and they crowded him, full of happiness to see him back on his feet. Gordain joined them, slapping Valentine on the back.
I needed to get home. Scarlet was driving while in conversation with her lawyers and required input from me. I placed a hand on Valentine’s arm. “I’ll see you back at the house.”
He spared me a look, but it was that same pensive, cooler one. “Aye. I’ll pick up my car now I’m allowed behind the wheel. We’ll talk later.”
Why did that feel ominous?
At home, I made us food and called Scarlet. She was nearby so made the arrangement to come straight to us. Tobi was overjoyed to be home. She asked if she could see Avery, having missed her at school today, and a quick message to Elise hadthem picking her up for an hour or two’s playdate. They swung by right as Scarlet appeared.
Of Valentine, I’d seen and heard nothing.
Brandishing the paperwork, Scarlet laid it out on the kitchen table. “My lawyers took copies at the hotel and have done some fast work taking it apart.”
I scanned the official-looking will, the paper thick and embossed, and a logo for a solicitor’s firm in the corner. “What did they find?”
“Greg Winchester Senior wrote this when he formed the business as a man of thirty-five. It wasn’t amended to include Tobi by name, or either of his other children for that matter, but fortunately the language used still accounts for your daughter. In summary, it awards his entire estate including property and any business concerns to be split equally between any biological children.”
“So three ways: Tobi, Greg Junior, and Simon,” I said. “Not his wife?”
