“They don’t know, but yes, I have it. They wanted me to convince you to sign it straight away, confiding in your eagerness to get your hands on a lot of money. They were so bent to that family that they automatically believed any lie they were told, so they are convinced you were a gold digger and would sign in a heartbeat at the chance of becoming rich. My suggestion is, to read everything with care before to sign, and then not to sign anything. The truth is that the only thing they have to make you read is a copy of the will, that they didn’t attach, and a document where you declare that you read it, that instead is attached. I myself provided with some risks to get a copy of the will for you, so you can see, reading those documents, how much they are trying to swindle you in favour of their former clients. This is at best a conflict of interests, but I’d say it is plain fraud.”
“I think you’ll make a great addition to your new place of work, Miles. Now, what are you supposed to do, once you got my signature?”
“To go back to them, so they could start working on swindling you out of the money they were formally giving you through the documents, in exchange for keeping the control of the business they’ll give back to the family.”
“What a nest of cockroaches! If I didn’t want to sign, what were you supposed to do?”
“They didn’t consider it, even when I brought it in as a possibility. So I’ll have to call them for instructions.”
“How long they thought you could take to have my sign or my refusal?”
“A few hours at worst.”
“Ok, it’s three hours. Call them and tell them that I want to read the will before to sign, and that you quit. That way, I’ll have a copy of the documents, and you won’t be in the situation of justifying why you don’t have them when back, even if doing your client's interests by leaving them a copy should be their goal. Formally, I’m hiring you as my lawyer. Before calling them, call your sister and tell her to pack and come here, immediately, and to say nothing to anyone, not even her boyfriend. I’ll make sure there will be a ticket ready at the airport for her. We must be quick.”
“Ok, Miss Delvey.”
“As soon as you are back here, I’ll tell you my real name. I just don’t want it to slip from you, for now, so Delvey is fine.”
When he left the flat, I called Robert and related to him everything. I was laughing loud; he told me he would be at my flat in ten minutes. Robert called the flight company to get an open ticked for Jean Dash, then once at my flat he called Mr Carey and I explained to him the situation. Since he was aware of my past, he chocked a laugh, and said that he would come personally to see the matter, and his best associates would work on it. I told him about Miles, and he said he would be happy to meet the guy, and that if he was half as I said, he would be glad to give him a chance. Adding the fact that he was already partially aware of the Glantry’s businesses, he could be a really good addition to the firm. He said he would be here the next evening.
When Miles arrived back, an hour later, was startled to see Robert, but I tranquilized him, explaining who Robert was. I could tell they liked each other. He said his sister just boarded the plane that would take off in a few minutes, and she would be landing in an hour and a half. Robert said that they would need fifteen minutes to get to the airport, and that he would go with him.
Meanwhile, Robert called the firm he was working for and spoke with one of their older associates. This law firm had always been in a strenuous competition with the AFLA, and despised it for its dishonesty. He told the associate that they had the chance to smash it, and also get in good relationships with the Cordell’s. The associate jumped from his seat when he got a brief sum of what was happening and asked what was needed for that. Robert explained the thing in more detail and asked to send a trusted office boy to get a package at my address, and then to start studying it and all the implications with the other associates. It was a clear case of fraud and conflict of interests, and more than anything a blatant violation of ethics, but they needed their attack to be quick and unstoppable. A message would explain everything.
We made a copy of the will and Robert wrote two lines to the associates, adding that the following day Mr Carey of the Cordell’s in person would attend a meeting with them, me and the person who made it all possible, by warning me and quitting from the AFLA.
Later Robert went with Miles to get Jean, and I was happy to meet her. She was a rather plump girl, but with a solar smile and a cheerful personality. “Jean, I never had the chance to thank you for the help you gave me back then!” I said to her.
“Oh, never mind. We never really spoke, but you’ve been always kind to everyone, even with the school’s pariah, like me. I was so sad for you when you fell in the clutches of that guy. Then they spoke about you two marrying after you got pregnant, and for a moment I thought that maybe you were the one who managed to straighten his behaviour. When Miles told me what was happening, and told me they considered you a gold digger, despite it being obvious and clear you fell for that asshole head over heels, and wouldn’t have cared if he was dirt poor, I had to say something. I think that’s when Miles started to look at his law firm with different eyes and decided to help you as possible.”
“I can’t thank you enough, Jean, really!”
“Seeing that you are fine is enough, don’t worry. Now, they didn’t tell me a word during the trip here. Why the secrecy? I guess that something is happening since Miles is here with one of the people from the law firm most hated by AFLA and Glantry.”
We told her the story about what was about to happen to the Glantry’s fortune, and she couldn’t stop laughing as well. And about his brother quitting from them, to which she answered that it was about time, and about having a chance to be hired by the Cordell’s and moving in the south, chance at which she was elated and hopeful. They lost both parents, and Miles worked to pay his studies and raise his sister, and later to pay her studies also. Then I asked Robert, and he nodded his assent.
“But that’s not the best part. You know me as Julie Delvey, a poor shy girl who was even despised by her own parents. Well, I discovered less than ten days ago that they weren’t my parents, just my tutors, and were exploiting me. My real name is Julie Cornwall, and I am the heiress of the Cornwall Group. So, in the end, the Glantrys lost not only their dreams of becoming more powerful, but also everything they own. The grandfather must have been an old fashioned guy like my dad.”
They were astonished. Then they laughed again and were glad for me.
The next day, we met with Mr Carey at the airport, and we saw he wasn’t alone. He had five associates with him, one of which another aged man, who saluted me and introduced as Mr Bradley. I remember his amongst the names of the people I could trust. He said that after Mr Carey told them the story, they made a little investigation and decided a full team was needed. Robert told them the R&C would give them full support and they would meet the next morning. Meanwhile, we brought them to the hotel they booked. Hilton of course. I never put a finger in something so luxurious. And soon I’d be able to even buy the whole chain if I fancied it.
Well, back on earth. Note that in the past week I’ve been much on it, it seemed I was living a dream. A rich guy who falls in love with me and didn’t care for real I was dirt poor, then the discovery I’m probably the richest heiress on the planet, and immediately after, becoming the heiress of everything my worst enemies owned. Well, what could be better than that?
I know, humiliate them completely, giving them what they deserve for everything they did. Someone would think that I should be superior and not lower myself to their level, or I wouldn’t be different from them. Well, that’s what also people like them say to avoid the fate they usually enjoy for the others. So, as much as I dislike hurting people, I wouldn’t have the least mercy for them. An eye for an eye. They were the people who caused the death of my daughter, laughed at it and enjoyed it. No, I would see them ruined and humiliated as much as possible.
When we entered the R&C building, there were already half of the older associates waiting for us and escorted us to the highest floor. “Here there is a meeting room where you could discuss everything privately, we’d like to join and to give our contribution to the matter, but we’ll respect that’s your business. There is a kitchen on the other side of the corridor and a staff ready to give you anything you ask.”
“No need to leave. Miss Cornwall and Mr Shore are guaranteeing for you and told me you’ve been battling against that filth for years. Your contribution would prove very helpful.”
I explained again the story, and then one of them recognized Miles as an associate of the AFLA. I told them he resigned, and if it wasn’t for him I would have been probably dead, or eventually been cheated of the inheritance by these papers they wanted me to sign. I explained his role in the matter and they congratulated him. He explained what would be the likely actions of the AFLA to protect the Glantrys, and how we could counter them.
It was decided that after reading everything and studying every single comma, Mr Carey and his staff would study every detail, then we would go to meet the AFLA. Miles would not come since they could smell something. Robert would be there with me and would represent the R&C, with one of the older associates.
The next day, an envoy from the AFLA met me at the bookstore, apologizing for the ‘other associate’ behaviour, saying he had probably acted without the consent of the firm and then asking if I got the papers to sign. I confirmed I got them, and he asked if I signed them. I told him I was present when the other associate quit and was perfectly aware they were informed that I wouldn’t sign a single page, at least not until I had a copy of the will to read. He said it wasn’t necessary to read it, it was purely a formality, and such bullshits. I stopped him and told him that that was my decision, and he could either bring me a copy of the will or get lost. He still insisted, that not signing those papers wouldn’t allow me to get anything and that I had another two days before the term for the acceptance of the heritage would expire. That was plain bullshit, no inheritance would ever expire.
