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Chapter 0357
In front of the partition screen, a large table had been assembled, with rows of chairs on either side, facing each other. We took our side, and Senior and his team of lawyers took theirs. There were so many lawyers that many of them had to stand.
Senior sat across from Logan, though his glare of distain was fixed on Mr. Hudgens. Mr. Hudgens seemed entirely unaffected by such a fearsome look.
"I did not expect to ever see you again, Walter," Senior said.
"You should have known better, Richard," Mr. Hudgens replied. "I have grandchildren now."
"Then you shouldn't want to expose these skeletons," Senior said. "When your grandchildren discover the kind of man you truly are, they will hate you."
"My grandchildren will know that I was a man who made mistakes, but that I fought to make amends, to make myself a better man. They will learn from my errors, to jump straight to being a good man, without all these middle steps. Above all, I will teach them that the villain is the man who doesn't change for the
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Senior scoffed. "You always were a pushover, Walter."
"We'll see if you still feel that way after this meeting." Mr. Hudgens said.
"Shall we start," Mr. Smith said, voice calm and steady, expression entirely indifferent. "Mr. Hatfield has read through your affidavits and wishes to keep them quiet. In exchange for each of these individuals signing NDA's, he will allow you to stay with your wife, Hazel Whitaker."
"Hazel Hatfield now," Logan and I correct at the same time.
"Tell them the other conditions," Senior sneaked in.
Logan's good humor vanished. "Conditions?"
I braced myself. This was the moment we'd been waiting for. For Senior to reveal his true colors and start being an unforgiveable asshole
"Miss Whitaker is not to take the Hatfield name," Mr. Smith said.
"Excuse me?" I said. It was my name. I could change it to whatever I wanted.
The Hatfield name is sacred. You may marry into the family, but you will never be a Hatfield," Senior spat.
"Absolutely not," Logan refused at once.
for
Mr. Smith gave Logan a flat look. "You might find, Sir, that abject rejection does not pave the way. compromise and resolution. If you want to take, you must also give. Mr. Hatfield Senior is meeting your initial demand, allowing you to stay with your wife."
Mr. Hudgens glanced at Logan and I. Softly he said, "We should hear all he has on the table, then make our counter demands."
A muscle ticked in Logan's jaw, "When Hazel's involved, I get too fired up," he admitted. "I can't even think straight with this bullshit.”
7 can take the reins," Mr. Hudgens offered. "You get the final say, but allow me to get us to that moment.
Fair?"
"Fair," Logan said.
"Thank you, Mr. Hudgens," I said.
He gave the soft smile of a grandfather. “Please, call me Walter."
"Let's get on with it, then," Senior snapped.
“Before we commit to a response,” Walter said, “I would hear what else Richard wants from these too. I doubt a refusal of name change is the full extent of his conditions."
"You would be correct to doubt that," Mr. Smith said. He glanced down at the paperwork in front of him." Miss Whitaker is to attend a finishing school to help her develop the appropriate manners and decorum befitting those of high society."
"There's nothing wrong with "Logan started. Under the table I placed my hand on his knee, stopping the words.
We had to hear out all the conditions before we made our counters.
"She is also to receive an entire new wardrobe," Mr. Smith said. "Mr. Hatfield Senior is to help supervise the attire chosen, to ensure that she wears appropriate garments to appropriate parties, so as not to embarrass the Hatfield family."