Chapter 6 - The Pregnancy Changed the Financial Picture
When Veronica learned Amelia was pregnant, her panic made more sense than Amelia initially realized.
The loan documents contained a personal guaranty from Preston.
If he defaulted, his individual assets could be pursued.
But some Caldwell family trust distributions changed once he had a child.
A descendant subtrust would be established after birth.
Certain future distributions that Preston currently received directly would be redirected partly for the child’s benefit.
The amounts were not enormous enough to bankrupt him.
But they reduced his flexibility.
More importantly, the birth of a child triggered a routine independent review of several family-office accounts connected to Preston’s branch of the trust.
That review could expose just how much Veronica had already been advancing to cover his debts.
The unborn baby represented something Veronica hated.
Independent scrutiny.
Before pregnancy, she hoped Amelia’s property would solve the short-term problem quietly.
Now there was a clock.
If Amelia remained married and carried the pregnancy to term, outsiders would eventually review the money.
Veronica wanted the collateral arrangement completed before anyone else started asking questions.
That was why the doctor’s call turned her face white.
The pregnancy did not just make Preston’s kick horrifying.
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It made their financial concealment more fragile.
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