Chapter 3 - The Untold Truth
By late afternoon, the office had settled into its normal rhythm, but inside Adrian’s private suite, everything had irrevocably shifted.
Mia sat on the plush leather sofa, coloring a picture of a dragon, while Adrian sat beside her on the floor, coat off, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, listening intently as she explained the backstory of Gerald the elephant.
I sat at the conference table, watching them. Seeing the striking physical resemblance between Adrian and Mia was startling now that I knew the truth—the same dark brown curls, the same sharp, expressive eyebrows.
"Uncle... I mean, Mr. Kane," I caught myself, leaning back.
Adrian glanced up, a small smile playing on his lips. "You can call me Adrian when we're behind closed doors, Clara."
Mia giggled. "Mommy, Mr. Handsome plays really good with crayons."
"I take my drawing very seriously, Mia," Adrian said solemnly, making her laugh again.
He stood up, brushing off his trousers, and walked over to my table, sliding a blue leather binder across the surface.
"What's this?" I asked.
"A private trust fund agreement," Adrian explained smoothly. "I had my personal attorney draft it two hours ago. It allocates fifty million dollars from my private, non-corporate accounts into a trust for Mia."
I stared at him, stunned. "Adrian, no. I can't accept that. I earn a good salary—"
"This isn't corporate money, Clara," he cut in gently but firmly. "This is family money. Julian's share of our mother's estate that was rightfully his. I've been holding onto it for seven years because I refused to let Victoria touch it. It belongs to Mia."
I looked down at the documents, my chest swelling with a complex mix of relief and anxiety. "If Victoria sees a transfer of this size, she’ll start asking questions."
"Which is why it’s routed through an independent offshore holding company under your maiden name," Adrian said, leaning against the edge of the table. "Victoria won't see a thing. But we have another problem."
"What problem?"
"Victoria has called an unexpected emergency shareholder dinner for tomorrow night," Adrian said, his tone turning cold. "She claims she has discovered 'irregularities' in my recent expansion strategy for the creative department."
My heart sank. "Your expansion strategy... that was my department's project."
"She's trying to cut your budget to weaken my position on the board," Adrian said, his eyes narrowing. "She doesn't know who you are to Julian, but she senses that you are an asset to me. She wants to eliminate you professionally before we launch the winter campaign."
"I won't let her dismantle my team's work," I said defensively.
"You won't have to," Adrian said softly. He reached out, his fingers lightly brushing the back of my hand resting on the binder. The touch was brief, sending a warm spark straight up my arm. "I want you and Mia to move into my private residence in Tribeca."
I pulled my hand back slightly, staring at him. "What? Adrian, that's insane! Moving into your home?"
"My penthouse has full-time private security," Adrian argued calmly. "If Victoria starts investigating your background because of the department audit, she might uncover Julian's death certificate in Seattle. At my place, you and Mia are completely protected."
"People at the office will talk," I protested. "They'll think I'm getting special treatment!"
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"Let them talk," Adrian said, his voice laced with absolute authority. "I spent seven years letting my family fall apart because I was too blind to see Victoria's games. I am not losing Julian's daughter. And I am not losing you."
I looked from Adrian's resolute face to Mia, who was humming a sweet nursery rhyme while drawing red polka dots on her elephant. I knew he was right. The storm was coming, and standing alone was no longer an option.
