Chapter 17 - THE HEIRS WHO CAME TOO LATE
The three claimants arrived in New York the following week.
Their names were Andrew Reed, Margaret Reed, and Thomas Reed.
They were distant relatives of General Reed.
None had ever visited the foundation.
None had met Sophia.
And none had been involved when Valerie fought to protect the estate from Fernando and Claudia.
They sat across from Valerie in a conference room.
Andrew spoke first.
“Our family believes the General's estate was improperly transferred.”
Valerie remained calm.
“The court approved the restructuring.”
“Our attorneys disagree.”
Margaret placed a thick folder on the table.
“There is an older version of the trust.”
Valerie opened it.
The document contained language she had never seen.
According to it, if the principal beneficiary died without a surviving male heir, certain assets could revert to the Reed bloodline.
Valerie stared at the clause.
It was not the same clause that had previously controlled the estate.
This was older.
Much older.
“Where did you get this?”
“Our grandfather kept it.”
Natalia leaned forward.
“Why wasn't this document presented during the original proceedings?”
Thomas shrugged.
“We didn't know it existed.”
Valerie closed the folder.
That answer bothered her.
Not because it proved anything.
Because someone had suddenly produced a document capable of threatening a foundation worth seventy-five million dollars.
She requested the original.
Andrew smiled.
“You'll receive it through our attorneys.”
After they left, Natalia looked at Valerie.
“Do you believe them?”
Valerie looked at the photocopy.
“I don't know.”
Then she said something that surprised Natalia.
“But I'm going to assume the document is real until we prove otherwise.”
Natalia frowned.
“Why give them that much credit?”
“Because truth doesn't need me to protect it.”
Valerie picked up the file.
“If it's fake, we'll prove it.”
“And if it's real?”
Valerie looked toward Sophia through the glass doors.
May you like
“Then we'll deal with that honestly too.”
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