Miriam’s POV
“What do you mean my mum needed to give me something?” I said into the phone, my voice sharp.
“If this is some kind of prank call, I need you to stop it right now.”
“Listen, Miss Miriam,” the feminine voice said calmly.
I could hear papers rustling on her end.
“There is a will. A will that only your mother knew about. Your husband Williams came by recently. The way he was talking, I guessed you guys are divorced now?”
I folded my hands hard.
What the hell was that bastard doing now?
What was he snooping around for?
“What was he asking for?” I demanded, ignoring her question about my marriage.
“Well, it was surprising when he showed up at my office,” the lawyer continued.
“He knew I was your mother’s lawyer, and he came asking if your mother had left anything behind. From the way he was acting, I realized he was up to no good. That’s why I needed to contact you immediately.”
My blood boiled.
Williams was being so pathetic.
Why would he even care about what my mother left me?
What could he possibly want?
I took a deep breath and forced myself to stay calm.
I couldn’t lose control now.
“What do I need to do?” I asked.
“From the way Williams is moving, he’s going to keep snooping around until he gets what he’s looking for,” the lawyer said urgently.
“I need you to set up a meeting with me as soon as possible. We need to talk about this properly. Face to face.”
I sighed heavily.
If this was urgent enough for her to call me, it had to be something important.
Something my mother wanted me to have or know.
Something she’d kept hidden from everyone else, including Nadia.
But there was so much happening right now.
Victor was announcing me to the board tomorrow.
He was introducing me to his mother next week.
There was the baby to think about.
There was Williams to deal with.
And now this.
“I’ll call you when I’ve fixed a day,” I said.
“Alright, Miss Miriam,” she paused.
“And Miriam, your mother was a good friend of mine. A dear friend. Anything you need, anything at all, you can call on me anytime. I will be here for you.”
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
The call ended, and I dropped my phone onto the table.
My mind was spinning.
If Williams was already looking for whatever my mother left me, it meant he knew something.
It meant he’d been planning things for longer than I’d realized.
Five years.
A setup.
A way to get close to me so he could use me.
I suddenly lost my appetite completely.
“Ma’am, is there anything wrong?” The cook approached me carefully.
“Should we bring in another meal? What would you like us to prepare?”
“No, I’m good,” I said, standing up from the dining table.
“I just lost my appetite.”
At that exact moment, the security at the door opened it.
Victor stepped through wearing a black tailored suit that fit him perfectly.
His hair was combed back, revealing his chiseled face and those gray eyes that seemed to see everything.
Beside him was a middle-aged man carrying a portfolio bag.
Victor’s presence was so commanding that it made the man beside him seem almost invisible.
Victor’s eyes found mine immediately.
“Are you okay?” he asked, completely ignoring the man who was trying to talk to him.
I shrugged slightly, trying to look normal.
“Oh yes, I’m good.”
“You look pale,” he said, studying my face carefully.
Was it really that obvious?
The morning sickness?
The stress?
The fear?
I put on a smile and shook my head.
“I think it’s the weather,” I lied.
He nodded and seemed to accept that excuse.
“Alright, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Philips Dawson. He’s the lawyer who will be in charge of all your CEO responsibilities and contracts.”
As soon as Victor said that, all the staff working in the living room suddenly dispersed.
They moved quickly and quietly, leaving just the three of us alone.
“Hello, Mrs. Miriam,” Mr. Dawson said, offering his hand.
“It’s my pleasure to meet you.”
I shook his hand with a smile.
“The pleasure is mine.”
“Alright, let’s get to it,” he said, settling down at the table.
I watched as he removed envelopes and files from his portfolio bag.
The documents spread across the table like a game board, and I knew what was about to happen.
This was real now.
This was official.
Victor’s POV
My eyes kept flipping back to Miriam.
She looked pale.
Too pale.
Was it really just the weather like she claimed?
I should probably stop pestering her to tell me things.
I needed her to feel safe enough to open up to me. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
That would take time.
More than a year, probably.
“I need you to sign here, Mrs. Miriam,” Philips said, handing her a document.
I watched her sign the papers.
Her hand moved smoothly across the page, her signature elegant and sure.
What a beauty.
Williams was so foolish to let a woman like her slip away from him.
The man had no idea what he’d lost.
My phone suddenly rang.
Karen.
I answered immediately.
“What do you have?”
“Sir, there are new job applicants applying for positions at the company,” Karen said.
I closed my eyes and sighed with frustration.
“Karen, how many times do I have to remind you that you know the department that handles that?”
This assistant of mine knew exactly how to stress me out.
I could feel Miriam’s eyes on me, watching to see how I reacted.
“I will be right back,” I said, standing up.
I walked out of the living room and down the hallway, pressing the phone closer to my ear.
“Sir, I know, but I just noticed something strange,” Karen continued.
“One of the applicants has Miriam’s maiden surname. One Nadia Lopez.”
I froze in the middle of the hallway.
“I mean, it’s nice having the Lopez family working with us,” Karen said awkwardly.
“Did you say Nadia Lopez?” I repeated, my voice cold.
“Yes, sir.”
I chuckled, but there was no humor in it.
This girl had nerves.
This girl actually had the audacity to apply for a job at the same company where her sister worked.
Where the sister she’d betrayed and destroyed was now the CEO.
The shamelessness was almost impressive.
“Reject her application,” I said flatly.
“Sir?” Karen sounded confused.
“I don’t repeat myself twice, Karen,” I said coldly.
“Before the interview phase, have the human resources department reject her application. I don’t want shameless people working in my company. I don’t want her anywhere near Miriam.”
I hung up the phone before Karen could respond.
Nadia Lopez thought she could just waltz into my company.
She thought there wouldn’t be consequences.
She was about to learn that I protected what was mine.
And Miriam was mine now.