“I will drag your name through every tabloid in the country.”

“You won’t get custody of Lily,” I said, my voice trembling despite my best efforts.

“I don’t need custody to keep you away from her,” he replied.

“I only need to tie this trust up in litigation.”

“I can afford to fight this for the next eighteen years.”

“Can you?”

The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.

“There is an alternative,” Adrian said.

“I am listening,” I said, my hand gripping the phone so tightly my knuckles turned white.

“You sign a waiver,” he said.

“You renounce all claims to the Whitmore trust on behalf of yourself and Lily.”

“In exchange, I will let you keep her, and I will pay you a modest monthly stipend.”

“If you refuse, I will dismantle your life piece by piece.”

“You have until tomorrow morning to decide.”

“Adrian—” I started, but the line went dead.

I stared at the screen as the call ended.

Grace looked over at me, her brow furrowed in concern.

“What did he say?” she asked.

I didn’t answer right away.