I stared at the paper.

“On what conditions?” I asked.

“You sign a non-disclosure agreement that covers not just the Whitmore name, but any association with Adrian,” Margaret said.

She leaned forward slightly, her eyes locking onto mine.

“You will take the child and move out of the state. You will never speak to the media, and you will never contest the main family trust.”

“And Lily’s legitimacy?” I asked.

“She will be provided for,” Margaret said. “But she will not be a Whitmore. Not publicly.”

“That is unacceptable,” I said, the fear in my chest suddenly turning into white-hot anger.

“Vivian, be reasonable,” Margaret said, her tone patronizing. “You are a schoolteacher. Five million dollars is more than you would earn in three lifetimes.”

“It isn’t about the money,” I said. “Adrian lied. He used his power to make my daughter invisible so he could marry Celeste and keep his inheritance.”

“And you think a court will hand you the keys to the Whitmore estate?” Margaret sneered slightly. “We have the resources to tie you up in litigation until your daughter is a grandmother.”