He Signed His Divorce Without Reading It, Now He Kneels novel · Chapter 16 of 24

Chapter 16: The Check

Alasdair's POV

Lorna VanBuren came up the lab stairs at six on Thursday evening, alone, in a black coat.

The oldest of the techs met her on the landing with her arms folded.

"He's in his office," she said. "I'll be at my bench. Door open."

"That won't be necessary."

"It's my bench," the tech said, and she went.

I stood behind my desk. I hadn't stood for Lorna in years, and I didn't now.

My phone lay face up on the blotter.

Since the photograph hit the news I had recorded every call and every visit from a VanBuren, because Genevieve's lawyer had told us to.

The red dot was on. Lorna saw the phone and did not see the dot.

"Alasdair." She sat without being asked. "You've lost weight."

"It's been a week."

"It has." She opened her handbag and laid a check on the blotter, squared to the edge. "I'm told your nine people have funding through the spring."

I looked at the number.

It had seven digits. The payee line was blank.

"This is for Seidel Therapeutics," she said. "From the VanBuren family, in Franklin's memory. No conditions."

"There are always conditions."

"One. A small one."

She folded her gloves on her knee.

"Genevieve is not herself. She's surrounded by people who profit from her. I want you to ask her, as a friend, to put the shares back where they were."

"Back in your trust."

"Where they can be looked after. She would keep the dividends. She'd have the foundation. The company would be run by people who understand it."

"By you."

"By the family."

"She is the family," I said. "Franklin said so himself."

Lorna's face did not change at all. It never did.

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