บททั้งหมดของ Love in the Shadows of Legacy: บทที่ 51 - บทที่ 60

Alexander's POVLily walked into the conference room at 9 AM on Friday morning, and I knew immediately something had changed by the way she looked at me.Not hostile exactly but not as guarded as she'd been yesterday when she'd accused me of framing Victor."We need to talk before the board meeting," she said quietly.I followed her to Richard's private office and closed the door while she pulled out her laptop."I spent last night researching Victor Walter. Every business deal, every partnership, every lawsuit from the past fifteen years." She opened files showing pages of notes and highlighted articles. "You were right about him. He's destroyed every company he's claimed to help."Relief flooded through me so intensely that I had to sit down. "So you're not taking his offer?""I canceled our meeting this morning. Told him I needed more time to prepare for the board presentation." She showed me the text exchange with Victor. "He tried to pressure me into deciding quickly. Classic man

Alexander's POVThe media storm erupted on Saturday morning with the news of the arrests."Thompson Enterprises Executives Arrested for $183 Million Embezzlement" was the lead story on every business channel.My phone started ringing at 6 AM with reporters asking for comments and investors demanding explanations.By 8 AM our PR team had scheduled an emergency press conference for noon to get ahead of the narrative."We need both of you there," Janet told Lily and me in a conference call. "United leadership showing the company is stable despite the scandal.""I've never done a press conference," Lily said and I could hear the nervousness in her voice."You'll be fine. Just stick to the talking points and don't let them bait you into saying something off script." I was already reviewing the statement our lawyers had prepared. "I'll handle the aggressive questions."At 11:30 AM Lily and I met in the lobby where our PR team had set up a podium with the Thompson Enterprises logo.She wore

Alexander's POVI couldn't tell Lily that Richard was her father without being absolutely certain of the biological connection because destroying her with false information would be worse than any other mistake I'd made.Richard's letter claimed Elena was pregnant when they broke up, but the timeline didn't quite add up, and I needed scientific proof before revealing something that would change Lily's entire understanding of her identity and inheritance.Sunday morning I sat in my apartment staring at the contact information for a private DNA testing lab that James had recommended, the kind that rich people used for paternity disputes they wanted kept quiet and confidential.The problem was I needed Lily's DNA, and asking her directly would require explaining why, which meant telling her about Richard before I had proof, which defeated the entire purpose of testing in the first place.I could wait until after I told her tonight and then suggest testing together but that felt cruel to

Alexander's POVI was leaving the office Tuesday evening at six when I saw Lily walking toward her car in the parking garage and Rafael Delgado was waiting by the entrance.She smiled when she saw him, and they talked for a moment before getting into her car together, which made my stomach twist with something that felt uncomfortably like jealousy.I had no right to feel jealous because Lily and I weren't together, and Rafael had known her for years while I'd spent most of our relationship trying to destroy her.But watching her drive away with him made me want to put my fist through something.I sat in my car telling myself to go home and work on the debt restructuring proposal like a rational person.Instead, I started my engine and followed them at a distance because apparently, I'd become the kind of person who stalked the woman he had complicated feelings for.They drove to Martinez Art Supplies and entered through the back entrance, which led to the private studio space that Mr.

Alexander's POVThe DNA results arrived Wednesday morning, eight days early, and the courier insisted on hand delivery with signature confirmation, as if the envelope contained nuclear codes instead of just information that would change everything.I signed for it at my apartment at 7 AM before heading to the office and stared at the plain white envelope with the lab's logo discreetly printed in the corner.My hands shook as I carried it to my kitchen table and sat down because once I opened this there was no going back from whatever truth it contained.Part of me wanted to throw it away unopened and tell Lily what Richard's letter claimed without scientific confirmation.But I'd already violated her privacy by taking her DNA and sending it for testing so I might as well see the results that had cost me another piece of my integrity.I opened the envelope carefully and pulled out the report with technical language about genetic markers and probability calculations that I skimmed past