“The wedding dossier,” Alexander said, his eyes widening. “The financial background checks.”

Alaric nodded and unlocked the bottom drawer of his desk.

He pulled out a thick leather binder embossed with the royal crest.

“When Rachel petitioned for the marriage, we required a full disclosure of her family assets,” Alaric said.

He laid the binder on the table and flipped through the heavy parchment pages.

“She claimed her father’s estate was settled years ago,” Alexander murmured, leaning over the desk.

“Here,” I said, pointing to a section labeled *The Carter Family Trust*.

The document was printed on official legal letterhead from our hometown in Virginia.

It detailed a trust valued at exactly eighteen million dollars.

“Look at the distribution clause,” I said, reading the fine print.

My eyes scanned the dense legal language, my training helping me focus despite the panic in my chest.

“The trust was established by my father,” I said. “Upon his death, the entire sum was to be managed by my mother, Margaret.”

“But your mother was declared dead,” Alexander said.

“Exactly,” I said. “If Margaret is dead, the trust immediately dissolves and splits between the surviving children.”