Chapter 10 - The Ledger of Deceit
Inside the cottage, sitting over tea, Clara opened the valise to reveal years of private journals and internal correspondence kept by Victoria’s legal team.
"The night on the balcony wasn't an accident, Julian," Clara said softly, her hands resting flat on the table. "Your mother had already drawn up a secret codicil to the family trust. If Lily were removed from the equation, Victoria’s total control over your late father's foundation would remain uncontested for another decade."
Julian felt the blood drain from his face. "She wasn't just obsessed with bloodline purity. It was money."
"It was always power," Clara replied. "She manufactured the rumor that Eleanor was unfaithful, hired corrupt clinicians to cast doubt on the initial tests, and pushed Julian away so she could maintain unilateral control. She was terrified that Julian's marriage would divide the estate."
Eleanor held Lily closer, stunned by the sheer calculated malice of the woman who had pretended to act out of aristocratic honor.
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"Why give this to us now, Clara?" Eleanor asked.
"Because I watched you raise that baby with love in that miserable mansion, even when everyone turned their backs," Clara whispered. "And because Victoria has filed a petition in New York family court to demand visitation rights under the Grandparent Access Statute. You need this to defend yourselves."
