Chapter 10 - THE BENEFICIARY CHANGE
The beneficiary change turned out not to be Victor’s work.
That was the first surprise.
It had been entered by an insurance administrator using paperwork submitted eight months before Celeste died.
Her signature was genuine.
Adrian stared at it.
“Why would Celeste name Victor?”
Rebecca continued reviewing the file.
Then she found the attached instruction.
Victor was not intended to inherit the money personally.
He had been named temporary guardian of the insurance trust if Adrian died before Noah turned eighteen.
Celeste had trusted him too.
That hurt Adrian more than the fraud.
“She believed he would protect Noah.”
“Yes.”
Rebecca turned the page.
“But the clause automatically terminates if Victor is removed from any Kane fiduciary position for misconduct.”
So that problem resolved itself.
An independent institution would replace him.
Noah’s assets were protected.
The bigger question was emotional.
How could both Adrian and Celeste have trusted Victor so completely?
Margaret answered one night.
“Because he was good to you.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Was he?”
“When your father worked constantly, Victor came to your school plays. Your games. Your graduation.”
She sighed.
“People are rarely only one thing, Adrian.”
That sentence stayed with all of us.
Victor had loved Adrian.
Perhaps genuinely.
He had also betrayed him.
One truth did not cancel the other.
That complexity made recovery harder.
But it also made Adrian softer.
Less obsessed with converting everyone into safe or unsafe, loyal or disloyal.
Our relationship grew slowly.
No secret office encounters.
No billionaire fantasy nonsense.
Coffee on Sunday.
Walks through Central Park.
A museum Noah declared “too many old bowls.”
Dinner with my mother.
She stared at Adrian for ten minutes before saying:
“So you're her boss.”
“Former boss.”
“CEO.”
“Yes.”
“Billionaire.”
Adrian looked uncomfortable.
“Technically.”
My mother turned to me.
“You picked another man who works too much.”
“I know.”
Adrian laughed.
She liked him after that.
Noah liked everything about us except the pace.
“Are you boyfriend and girlfriend?”
Adrian answered:
“Yes.”
“Can Emma sleep over?”
“Noah.”
“What? Grown-ups have sleepovers.”
I nearly choked.
Adrian looked toward the ceiling as if Celeste might intervene.
“Your mother would have enjoyed this far too much.”
Noah smiled.
“Mommy liked embarrassing you.”
“Apparently everyone does.”
Then Noah asked something that silenced us.
“If you marry Emma, does Mommy stop being my mommy?”
My chest tightened.
Adrian knelt immediately.
“No.”
“Never?”
“Never.”
Noah looked at me.
“And if I love Emma?”
I crouched beside them.
“That doesn't take anything away from your mom.”
He studied my face.
“Can I have two?”
My eyes burned.
“You can have as many people loving you as your heart has room for.”
He seemed satisfied.
Then he ran off to find Gerald.
Adrian remained crouched beside me.
“You always know what to say.”
“No.”
“I absolutely don't.”
We smiled.
Then Margaret entered holding an old external drive.
“I found something.”
More Celeste.
Another video.
This one was labeled:
FOR ADRIAN — WHEN NOAH ASKS THE QUESTION.
Adrian stared.
“What question?”
Margaret looked at us.
May you like
“The one he just asked.”
Celeste had somehow prepared for that too.
