Chapter 9 - The WillEdward Thorne’s final will had been locked in a private vault beneath the family office.
Only three people had access.
Marcus.
Celeste.
And the family attorney, Graham Bell.
By seven that morning, all three stood inside the Thorne Global legal conference room with Khloe, Adrian, and Detective Cole.
Graham Bell looked as if he had aged ten years overnight.
“I advised against opening this without a formal board witness,” he said.
Marcus stared at him. “Open it.”
Graham looked at Celeste.
Celeste gave a single nod.
The seal was broken.
The document was thick, layered with amendments, trusts, conditions, and legal language designed to protect a fortune from taxes, enemies, spouses, and apparently truth.
Graham read aloud.
Most of it was expected.
Marcus retained control of Thorne Global.
Celeste retained the estate.
Charitable foundations continued.
Then Graham reached the final amendment.
His voice faltered.
“In the event that Marcus Thorne produces a biological heir within five years of Edward Thorne’s death, a controlling block of dormant trust shares shall transfer upon the child’s live birth into a protected family trust overseen by Marcus Thorne and the child’s mother.”
Khloe’s blood ran cold.
Marcus stared at Graham. “How large a block?”
Graham swallowed.
“Seventeen percent.”
Adrian cursed softly.
Seventeen percent was not just money.
It was control.
Combined with Marcus’s existing shares, it would make him untouchable.
And it would cut off any hidden board faction trying to remove him.
Khloe whispered, “That’s why.”
Detective Cole leaned forward. “Who knew about this amendment?”
Graham hesitated.
Marcus’s voice sharpened. “Who?”
“Edward. Celeste. Myself. Elliot Graves.”
Celeste looked away.
Graham continued quietly.
“And Vincent Rossi.”
Marcus turned slowly.
“Why would Vincent know?”
Celeste answered this time.
“Because Edward owed him.”
The room went silent.
Celeste sat down as if her legs could no longer hold her.
“Years ago, Edward used Vincent’s network to move money during a liquidity crisis. He called it survival. Then Vincent never let him go. The charity contracts were part of the repayment.”
Khloe’s voice trembled with anger. “And when Marcus’s child was born, Vincent would lose leverage.”
Graham nodded. “The trust transfer would trigger an audit of all dormant linked holdings. It could expose everything.”
Detective Cole closed the file.
“So Khloe’s pregnancy threatened Vincent’s financial crimes.”
Marcus looked at Khloe.
All those weeks Isabella had humiliated her.
All those carefully staged moments.
All the whispers that Khloe was fragile, jealous, unstable.
They had not been social cruelty.
They had been preparation.
If Khloe could be made to look unfit, violent, mentally unstable, then anything she discovered could be dismissed.
And if something happened to the baby…
Marcus could not finish the thought.
He walked to the window.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Then he turned around.
“Call an emergency board meeting.”
Graham blinked. “Marcus, now?”
“Yes.”
Celeste stood. “What are you going to do?”
Marcus looked at the will.
Then at Khloe.
May you like
Then at the city beyond the glass.
“I’m going to make every traitor show their face.”
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