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"Serena's attorney sent me a letter today. They're preparing an investigation into the validity of the trust provisions. As the trust administrator, I have a duty to disclose that to you."
He caught me off guard. "What's the basis for that?"
"They're not contesting the validity of your marriage," Rupert explained. "They're contesting the validity of the trust provisions themselves. Her attorney said he found a recent case that might make the provisions void in the state of Massachusetts."
For some reason, my stomach sank. "But this is just a preliminary investigation."
"Yes, but this could have ramifications for both of you. Soon. The attorney said they were going to look into other jurisdictions and see if there are any similar precedents. I'm just calling you as a courtesy, but also to let you know that if these provisions are deemed void or voidable, you and Serena will immediately inherit the trust. I won't use trust funds to put up a legal fight—your mother wouldn't have wanted that, and as her executor, it's my duty to carry out her wishes."
"Let me get this straight… if the courts are ruling that provisions like these are no longer enforceable, ours are considered void?" I asked.
"Right. And if the social provisions of the trust are deemed void, and there won't be any threshold to meet," Rupert explained. "In other words, Serena's previous marriage doesn't affect her ability to inherit the money, and it won't matter if you and Blake stay married for a year, although I certainly hope you do."
I scrubbed my hand across my face. This didn't make sense. Serena was already free and clear to inherit. "Why would Serena want to do this, especially since she's already complied with the terms?"
Rupert cleared his throat. "I'm not at liberty to discuss that. You'll have to ask her directly."
"Okay…" I paused for a beat, my mind racing. Serena wouldn't be forthcoming with me about her reasons, and I knew it. "You know my mother didn't like family secrets. The least you could do is give me some sort of idea… to honor her memory."
"I have a fiduciary duty to protect the grantee's best interests—and in this instance, I mean your sister's." Rupert sounded annoyed. "So the only thing I'll tell you is that something happened with Robert. I don't know anything more than that. I'll keep you up to date about the inquiry. Good day, Lucas."
I mumbled a good-bye and stalked to the window. It had started to pour, and steam was rising from the late-summer pavement. What in the world is going on with my sister?
In a very un-Lucas-like move, I picked up my phone and called her.
In a typical Serena move, she let it go straight to voice mail.
Frustrated, I decided to head for home. I could take Blake to dinner, ravage her sexy body, and maybe then I would be able to think straight. Of course, that was just an excuse. Since we'd been back from the island, I hadn't stayed at the office past five. I couldn't stand to be away from her.
Stop and buy yourself a box of tampons and a bag of chocolates on your way home, I remonstrated myself.
But the new me didn't care. I was married to a gorgeous woman, I was getting laid every night, and for once, I wasn't in a bad fucking mood.
I told Blake about the call from Rupert over dinner. "Why don't you call Robert?" she suggested.
"That might be an option," I said. "Although I doubt she's told him anything."
"They were having some deep discussion at the wedding." Blake poured us each a glass of wine. "You can at least find out what that was about. Or do you want me to reach out to Serena? She was actually pretty decent toward me after she'd had two bottles of wine."
"I wouldn't do that to you. I'll handle it."
Later, after Blake was asleep, I padded out to the kitchen. Rupert's phone call was seriously troubling me, and I couldn't put my finger on why. I looked at the clock. Robert was a night owl; he would definitely still be up at this hour.
He picked up after the first ring. "Lucas, to what do I owe this honor?"
I poured myself a drink and sat down. "I'm just checking in with you."
He snorted. "Since when?"
"Since I saw you huddled in a corner with my sister at my wedding. And now she's not returning my calls."
"Since when did she ever return your calls?"
"Never. But the silence is particularly deafening right now." I enjoyed the burn of my drink going down. "The trust administrator called me today. He said that Serena's attorney had been in touch."
Robert didn't say anything for a moment. "Did he say why?"
"He said that the attorney was investigating a new case that could make the trust's terms voidable."
