I, Lily Thompson, stood there taking cold breaths, as if the ground beneath my feet had shifted. Father's face had turned pale, regret and fear clearly visible in his eyes.
"Lily, it's true," Richard said softly, his voice trembling. "Victor and I started the Empire together. But I had an affair with his wife—your stepmother. When she demanded I marry her, I betrayed Victor and pushed him out. That document records his rightful claim."
My heart raced. "So Adrian is right? All this belongs to him?"
Richard lowered his head. "Yes, legally perhaps. But I won't give it up."
Alex came beside me, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Lily, we'll resolve this. But we need to be careful with Adrian."
Sophia entered the room holding an old letter. "This is from Victor," she said. "It states that i
