Chapter Thirty-Eight
Max
What would Mom do in my situation? Would she think I’m living my best life? Would she cross the first item off her bucket list? To see me happy and fulfilled?
What about the baby? I still haven’t told Rhys. I just couldn’t bring myself to, after his rather standoffish response. We aren’t even halfway through our year of fake dating, and I don’t want to reveal the pregnancy and have to end what we have before the expiration date.
What does it mean that I’m putting time with him over the baby? Probably that I’m a crappy person, I think glumly. If only I could be certain that Rhys would always take care of our baby…!
Doubts pop into my head, one after another, as a team of masseuses work on me and Rhys before our first public social appearance as a couple. It’s sad that I’m not enjoying the experience to the fullest. Rhys said I’d been too tense recently and we should do something nice to relax.
“You mean sex?” I teased, hiding the chaos in my heart with a smile.
“Well, normally…yes. That’s exactly what I’d mean. But in this case, a professional massage. Your shoulders feel harder than golf balls.”
His observation made me pause in surprise and pleasure. I couldn’t remember the last time a boyfriend was aware of my physical condition unless I specifically mentioned it…much less wanted to do something about it.
Rhys went all out, too—two different massages, a facial—the works. I told my masseuse about the pregnancy, asking her to keep it a secret because I planned to make it a surprise—and she said it’d be fine.
So now I’m being pampered like never before. The hot-stone massage alone should make my mom sigh with approval from on high.
And the money. Jeremiah reviewed the document and went back and forth with Don a few times before contacting me to explain the details. I trust her to keep me safe and protected from whatever shenanigans Trevor might be planning by having me sign it—nothing gets past her.
She texted me last Friday evening to tell me that everything’s complete and the trust is now fully mine. It’s actually a little over two billion. I stopped by her office to sign and notarize everything.
“At least Trevor isn’t a complete idiot when it comes to money, even if his heart is blacker than a tarantula’s butthole,” she said with satisfaction. “Used lots of shell companies, but he’s still paranoid about his wife getting something out of him.”
“How about his company? Not the shell ones, but the real one.”
“It’s run by the board—he removed himself from it and put all of his shares into the trust.”
“So the trust is now the main owner?”
Jeremiah nodded. “All his dividends and profits go into the trust as well. He doesn’t want his wife to claim that the company has anything to do with her, especially since it achieved most of its success after their marriage. He’s looking for ways to disparage her contribution and work history.”
I shook my head. Trevor.
She continued, “You can take out five percent of the total assets, including all the investment income generated, from the trust per year. I suggest you do that as soon as possible. There’s a sneaky clause that says Trevor can claw the trust back from you under certain conditions, none of which you meet.
I tried, but couldn’t get Don or Trevor to budge.
Your sperm donor is willing to roll the dice with the divorce judge if I strike it. ”
“Asshole. I wish I could set his shitty money on fire, just to show him it means nothing to me.”
“Sorry. That’s against the way it’s structured.
You have to give the trust back if you marry someone with more assets than the trust or can’t produce a child within a year.
I’m sure he stuck the first condition in to muddy the waters because what he really wants to see is the second in the documents. ”
I almost chortled. Trevor has no idea I’m already pregnant!
“There are others too, but nothing that makes me overly concerned. I’ll send them to you in bullet points in an email.
” She made a thoughtful noise. “If you want to permanently keep the money, start a charitable foundation as soon as possible. The trust doesn’t stop you from transferring assets to charity—I checked very carefully to make sure.
” Her eyes flashed with savage satisfaction.
“There isn’t even a limit to how much you can move.
I suppose Trevor can’t believe anyone would spend money on the less fortunate.
He seems like the type to spit on the homeless and steal their change tins. ”
I let out a surprised laugh. Her succinct observation on Trevor’s character was spot-on. “I don’t really want to run a charitable foundation, though. That’s full-time work, and I already have a job.”
“Then give the money away to charities of your choice as soon as possible. You said you wanted to fuck him over. So do that. Better use of the money than setting it on fire.”
“Won’t it take a while before his divorce is finalized?” California is a no-fault state, and I couldn’t imagine Lily letting go of an ATM like Trevor without a fight.
“Not really. He got the best attack dog from Highsmith’s stable.
His wife got somebody cheaper, supposedly because she’s convinced that his infidelity during their marriage makes a difference.
” A cold snort said it wouldn’t. “This won’t be a fair fight.
More like a bloodbath, with the tub filling red from her jugular.
I wager it’ll end in somewhere between seven months to a year.
If I were Trevor’s lawyer, I’d end his wife in eight or less.
Once that’s done, he’ll do everything to take the trust back from you, including petitioning the judge to freeze it.
So, tick-tock. You’ll need to act before that happens. ”
I nodded as Jeremiah explained. The money still feels icky, though—and it should’ve been Mom who got to enjoy it, not me. She supported him when he was a nobody.
She would’ve wanted you and your baby to have it.
I asked Jeremiah to calculate all the child support and alimony Trevor owed me and Mom but didn’t pay, plus compound interest, then move the sum to a new trust, completely separate from Trevor.
The amount turned out to be about five million dollars.
Enough to guarantee that my baby will be financially comfortable should anything happen to me, although I’ll continue working.
If possible, I don’t ever want to touch the new trust, preferring to take care of myself and the baby with the money I earn.
That way the gross feeling won’t overwhelm me.
There’s still two billion in the main trust. Even if the money’s corrupted what little soul Trevor has, I plan to have it do something good for the world by donating it to reputable charities.
I asked Jeremiah to send me a list of respected organizations, and it landed in my inbox earlier this week for me to look over and decide.
I’d better hurry—seven months isn’t really much time, especially if Trevor gets lucky and his lawyer is as good as Jeremiah. And that asshole does seem to get lucky more often than not.
Once the massages are over, the staff take me to another room for a facial, leaving Rhys behind. I wave goodbye, and he waves back, utterly relaxed under the expert care of his masseuse. “Enjoy the rest,” he says, his voice semi-slurred, as though he’s drunk on the nice rub-down he’s getting.
The facial is magically soothing—and leaves my skin glowing like I’ve swallowed all the stars in the sky.
The long off-the-shoulder gown with rhinestone accents that Danica sent is the color of a well-aged Bordeaux.
Three stylists do my hair, mani and pedi.
The makeup is dramatic, with hot, smoky eyes and cherry-red lips.
I’ve never tried colors this bold because I didn’t think I could pull them off, especially with the deep purple glitter eyeshadow.
But somehow, it all works beautifully. I look like a confident, sexy woman out to conquer the City of Angels.
The gold stilettos they put on my feet are chef’s kiss, with sexy straps that make my ankles look slim. For heels that high, they’re incredibly comfortable as well.
The door to the room opens, and Rhys walks in with a small, lopsided grin.
My breath stalls. He always looks amazing in his suit, but him in a tuxedo is a whole other thing.
The well-fitted black-and-white outfit brings out the breadth of his shoulders, the trimness of his waist and hips, and his long, powerful limbs.
It barely hides the intensity of his strong personality, and the physicality of his presence couldn’t be starker.
If there weren’t so many people around, and if Rhys’s attendance wasn’t mandatory at the auction tonight, I’d be jumping his bones right now.
He strides toward me and lays a tender kiss on my temple—then another, as though one wasn’t enough.
“You look amazing,” he whispers.
My cheeks warm. “Thanks. So do you.”
Laying hands on my bare shoulders, he dips his head and looks in the mirror. Our reflections make eye contact—his blue eyes are dark with admiration and simmering heat. Somehow it doesn’t feel any less intimate than him gazing directly into my eyes. My heart beats like butterfly wings.
“I wish we didn’t have to go,” he says.
I place a hand over his and smile. “But we do. It’s for a good cause—helping veterans.”
“I could’ve just written a big check.”
“I don’t want you to become a liar in Elizabeth’s eyes.
I like her.” She’s one of the greatest philanthropists in the world, tirelessly championing various worthy projects.
She doesn’t take a penny from the donations to pay staff salary, opting to fund the expenses from her personal trust. Actually, her foundation is at the top of the list Jeremiah sent.
“I know you do. Which is why I’m going to be the good guy here.”