Chapter 27 - WHAT THE WEDDING WOULD HAVE DONEYears later, a final forensic report clarified the financial scheme.

Had Nathan signed the planned pre-wedding restructuring before Lily was recognized:
Crane would have become temporary administrator over merged Ashford-Sterling investment interests.
Eleanor would gain enhanced voting influence.
Victoria would receive marital protection tied to the merged vehicle.
Lily’s unrecognized descendant share would remain dormant pending certification.
Then, if Nathan later discovered Lily, litigation could delay transfer for years.
Crane could collect fees throughout.
That was the gain.
Time.
Control.
Fees.
Leverage.
Not a magical instant theft.
Something more realistic.
Make uncertainty profitable.
That had been Crane’s specialty.
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The marriage itself was almost secondary.
The signatures mattered.