Page 89 of Legacy
I give him a small nod and order a black coffee at the counter, ignoring the way the barista eyes my bandaged hand, then head to a corner booth by the window.
I need distance from knife guy…
from everything.
A few minutes later, the door swings open, and Vanessa Reyes steps in like she owns the whole damn block.
She’s about five-foot-ten, heels included, with olive skin and a head of long black waves that bounce as she walks. She’s dressed in a tan belted trench over tailored slacks, black gloves tucked into her bag. Regal. Collected. Razor-sharp in every step.
I stand to greet her, shaking her hand. Her grip is firm, her gaze already sweeping over me like she’s calculating what kind of client I’ll be.
We sit. I pull the contract from my bag, the same cursed paper I stared at for hours this morning. She doesn’t waste time. She flips directly to page sixteen, eyes scanning as she speaks.
“Well,” she says finally, “you weren’t imagining it. Paragraph two is crystal clear. The marriage must be consummated within sixty days for each party to retain full rights.”
My heart sinks again, even though I knew it was coming.
“But,” she adds, flipping ahead, “there are cracks.”
I lean in. “What kind?”
Vanessa turns a few pages back, tapping another clause with her manicured nail. “Clause 5.2. He was required to introduce you to his immediate family within seven days of the contract’s execution.”
I freeze. “He didn’t.”
Her brow lifts. “How long has it been?”
I almost laugh. “Six months.”
She grins. “Perfect.”
My jaw drops slightly. “Perfect?”
She leans back in the booth, visibly satisfied. “He breached first. That clause was likely included to demonstrate integration into the family—essential for a valid alliance. If he failed to uphold it, that weakens the entire agreement.”
“So, I can nullify the contract?”
“Not quite. Not yet,” she says. “But you can force his hand. Use the breach to demand an amendment.”
I exhale, tension easing slightly. “What else?”
She scans again. “It says both parties must consummate the marriage for full rights, but it only specifies what you forfeit—the jewel sector. There’s no reciprocal clause explaining what he loses. That’s lopsided.”
I nod slowly, the plan building in my mind. “So we argue bad faith. Use his failure to meet one requirement and the imbalance in language to renegotiate.”
“Exactly,” she says, impressed.
I straighten my shoulders. “I want to do it myself. No lawyers. No back and forth with his people.”
Vanessa hesitates but ultimately nods. “Then I’ll draft a clean amendment proposal. My assistant can bring it to you tomorrow.”
She slides a business card across the table. “Call if anything changes.”
I take the card, slipping it into my bag. “Thank you.”
She gives me a tight, knowing smile. “You’re tougher than you look. In a courtroom, this would be a long shot. But in a backroom negotiation with a man like him? It’s your best weapon. Use it.”
She leaves without another word, heels clicking against the floor, the door swinging closed behind her.
