THE HEIRESS HE ABANDONED

at her husband had remembered another woma

he had been trying desperately to escape. She picked it up, expecting perhaps

ospital with Odette Marlow. You sh

avings, and the small birthday cake sitting between the plates. Twenty-eight candles surrounded its delicate icing. She had spent the after

before he answered, and the first thing she

t, Mireya?

ntment rising in her throa

wo

his h

re a pr

's almost midnight. I thought we

le sound of a woman's voice in the background. "Doria

t voice. She had heard it countless times during the past

th you?" she

't s

g a simple

something important to deal wit

my birthda

ly hoping that he might apologize. Instead, he sighe

hen. Can we talk a

d at the screen. Three years of marriage, countless sacrifices and one simpl

o the house, removing his wristwatch as he headed towards the staircase. He looked expen

ill awake?

aiting f

ning table. "You sho

remain calm. "I wanted

his every tim

cancelled our last three dinners, and today you cou

s going through a difficult pregnancy, and I won

's your late brother's widow. I'm your

ng Julian

feel like a strange

"I'm exhausted. I don't have t

table, realizing that the hardest part of being married to Dorian wasn't hi

d placed his favourite coffee beside his plate. Dorian entered the dining room while checking m

your sig

the papers. "Wh

zations. My legal depar

you need my

ical records require ad

looked unfamiliar, but one name immediately caught her at

ily's company

, something resembling alarm crossed his face. He

connection. Nothing yo

why my signatu

I have a meeting

administrative authority and several historical beneficiaries. Befo

my lawyer

said you neede

et back

en, and his entire expression changed. He answered

? Are you at

atched h

Don't worry a

s the door. She followed him, determined

haven't fini

t n

When exactly will you h

r. "Odette needs me. Is that so

to cry. "And what do I need, Dorian

for a moment be

oor s

had been. Something about them disturbed her. She had spent years deliberately avoiding her family's wea

y

iel Rusk, a former employee of Calder Meridian. He sounded nervous,

as your husband ever discussed your connec

ned. "What

records. I've been investigating some irregular

ctly did

s that someone has been preparing to u

t's impossible. I've never authori

n't sign any documents your husband gives you

l abruptly stopped speaking. She heard a door o

. "Your husband knows more than he's

l disco

ilable. A few seconds later, a message arrived containing a pho

CALDER FAMILY TRUST - PRO

was her f

ALISTAI

that name. As far as she knew, her father had delibera

e signature at the

ed to Dor

was three months be

own about the document before he married her.

photograph further, another

e. Your husband wasn't the only

photograp

belonged to someone Mir

AN K

e was a handwritten note

to Calder, make sure Ro

t again, her

Kells left a wa

xactly wa

e sudden

as D

ed without

ds made her b

get that docu