Chapter 17 - The Marriage Before the Marriage
My father never told me.
Arthur Bellamy and Dominic’s father, Samuel Sterling, had negotiated a merger eleven years ago.
The deal collapsed.
But the families remained connected.
Samuel’s company was failing.
My father refused to rescue it.
Richard Vale had represented Samuel.
Years later, Dominic met me at a charity event.
I thought it was chance.
It was not.
Richard’s files contained an email from Samuel.
Dominic should meet Bellamy’s daughter.
If there is ever a path back into Arthur’s assets, it will be through her.
I felt physically sick.
Dominic read the email beside me.
“I never saw this.”
I looked at him.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes.”
For once, Eleanor supported him.
“The metadata suggests Samuel wrote it privately to Richard.”
Dominic sat down.
“My father introduced us.”
I remembered.
Samuel walked Dominic across the ballroom.
He called it coincidence.
Dominic continued.
“But I didn’t marry you for money.”
I looked at him.
“Maybe not.”
He flinched.
“That almost makes it worse.”
Because somewhere along the way, whatever love existed had become entitlement.
My father died believing Dominic loved me.
Perhaps he did.
Perhaps love was never the issue.
Character was.
Richard’s files revealed Samuel Sterling knew about Leo’s future trust before Leo was even born.
Arthur had shared the estate structure during merger negotiations.
Victoria learned later.
That explained why she had obsessed over bloodlines.
Why she panicked when I became the family’s stronger executive.
Why Leo’s inheritance mattered so much.
She had spent years believing my father’s money should rescue the Sterling name.
Even after Samuel died.
Even after his company became Sterling Meridian.
Even after I was the one who saved it.
I closed the file.
“No more.”
Eleanor looked at me.
“No more what?”
“No more inherited war.”
“My father is dead.”
“Samuel is dead.”
“My marriage is over.”
“Leo does not inherit their greed.”
That night, I went home early.
Leo was awake.
He stood beside his bed holding Buttons.
“Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“Are we rich?”
I almost laughed.
“Why?”
“TV lady said Daddy rich.”
I sat beside him.
“We have enough.”
He thought.
“Enough cake?”
“Yes.”
“Enough house?”
“Yes.”
“Enough Mommy?”
My throat tightened.
“As much Mommy as you can stand.”
He climbed into my lap.
For the first time, he fell asleep there without shaking.
Three months earlier, powerful adults had treated him like access to twelve million dollars.
That night, the only thing he wanted was my hand in his.
Then Eleanor called.
Victoria had requested a meeting.
Not with her lawyer.
Not with Dominic.
May you like
With me.
She claimed she had one final truth about Brooke.
