39

Nothing Is at It Seems

Happy Thursday, everyone. I was able to get off of work early today and it pleases me. It's a shame that I plan on being in bed by 8:00. That's how tired I am. Anyway, I hope that y'all enjoy this chapter. Thank each of you for reading, reviewing, alerting, and making this story one of your favorites. I appreciate each and every one of you.

The story idea is mine but the main characters belong to Ms. Harris.

After everything that I've learned today, I believe that it's a great thing that Eric didn't come to this meeting. He needed to be with his daughter today. Being with Flynn is going to work miracles on him.

Or least that's what I hope.

A little daddy and daughter time is going to make them happy. Flynn sent me a smiley face text. I took that to mean that she was with her daddy. I sent her a heart and a kiss.

I wish that I could send kisses. I can't do that. I have a flip phone, mom!

I laughed as I sent her a sad face emoji.

Regardless of what Eric, Pam, or Amelia believe, my daughter is just too young to have a smartphone. Too many children get into trouble with smartphones. Not that Flynn would but I just want to keep her a nine-year-old girl for as long as I can.

Anyway, maybe it's a good thing that Eric wasn't here. He'd be upset with what I would have to tell him. Hell, he would be raging. He'd be angry enough to kill. He has been betrayed in the worst way. And by the one man that was supposed to love and protect him for any and every thing.

Appius has betrayed Eric in the worst way possible. I didn't know any of this until after I'd returned to the office after my shopping trip with Pam. Some new information was delivered to me and it's freeing and heartbreaking all in the same instance. I don't know how I'm going to present this to Niall. I think that I'll start off as I'd planned. Letting him know what I'd do if there were no other options because according to the contract that Eric gave to me, which is why Niall and I are meeting, he had very little options available to him. Regardless of how misleading it is, this contract is fucking amazing.

I know that I'm not supposed to admire it but it's fucking brilliant. Though some parts of the contract are evasive and mostly double talk, the contract as a whole, is basically unbreakable. Well, kind of unbreakable.

Both of the contracts, including the one that I'd received earlier this evening, were worded brilliantly. The lawyers that had written the contract that Eric gave to me, they wanted to make sure that he would be bound to Freyda and the Maddens for the rest of his life. He would have never been free. His entire life was going to be tied to something that he didn't want. But he didn't realize that he's not bound by the contract … or maybe he did. He had a choice that he could have taken years ago. He could have walked away and never looked back. But it's Eric. He wouldn't have done that to his mother. He's honorable and he's trusting. None of it matters, anyway.

"Every contract can be broken; especially this one," I mumbled.

"You think so?" Niall asked as he walked into the conference room.

I was happy to see him. I looked up at him at smiled. "Hey, Mr. Brigant. It's good to see you. Unlike me, I see that you can make it on time for meetings," I said as I looked at my watch.

Niall looked at me for a long moment as he smiled. I began to wonder if he was thinking about what I walked in on earlier today when he was in the office with Einin. To be honest, I'd forgotten all about it. It's really no big deal but now, I feel that I have to address what happened. I'd opened my mouth to address it but he lifted his hand to stop me.

"There's no need," he said. "We're all adults."

"You are exactly right," I said. "So, are you ready to get started?"

Niall gave me a slight head nod. "An attorney's work is never done. We have no choice but to be ready. And if you don't mind, I'd like to go back to your previous statement. Did I hear you correctly, Ms. Stackhouse? You think that every contract can be broken?"

"I do," I answered as I looked up at him. "As a matter of fact, I know so. You know so. But before we get started on the good stuff, I want to give you the spiel I'd planned on giving you before things changed."

As Niall took a seat at the conference table, he looked intrigued. "I'm all ears."

"As you know," I began. I placed my hand atop the contract. "Eric gave me this contract yesterday. This is the contract that this meeting was to be centered around. This is the contract that can be broken. I know that all contracts are legally binding obligations but they can be broken. One just has to be willing to deal with the ramifications of it." I rested my elbows on the conference table as I removed my reading glasses.

Niall mimicked my movements as he responded to my statement. "You're an excellent attorney, Ms. Stackhouse. Very knowledgeable of the law but your statement makes rethink my earlier compliment. It worries me that you would tell a client to break a contract knowing that there are repercussions attached to it."

I frowned at his harsh words. "Why would you rethink your compliment?" I asked. "I'm still an excellent attorney. I'm beyond excellent. I'm outstanding. I'm just taking what Eric appears to want into consideration. Please explain yourself … if you don't mind."

He looked at me and smiled. "Your willingness to break a contract seems to be something that you have no problems doing. What about the circumstances that Eric could face if the contract is broken?" Niall placed his briefcase on the table. He then opened it and began pulling papers from it. "Do you realize what he could lose if the contract is broken?"

I shook my head at the ridiculousness of Niall's statement. Though giving everything up is the last thing that I'd want Eric to do, it was still a viable option if things didn't go as planned. "If this was the route that he had to take, what will he lose? A little money? A little status? A couple of businesses? So what?"

He was willing to give it all up for me last night. If our previous plans didn't have a possibility of going through, I'm almost sure that he if he had to, he'd do it without asking.

Niall looked at me as if I'd lost my ever loving mind … as Gran used to say. He began to sign his name to the documents as he began talking to me. "You are the first attorney to say that. Everyone else has said that the contract is binding and there's nothing that can be done to break it. Even I've been against breaking the contract. It's not in his best interests. Not right now. He needs to abide by it because there's too much at stake. So far, that's been the status quo."

I frowned as I shook my head no. "Maybe they're not taking everything else in perspective. Plus, there's a lot more to this than we realized."

Niall was about to speak but I stopped him.

"I'll tell you all about it just a few," I promised. I held the contract in my hands as I talked to him. "As far as this contract goes, Eric has nothing to lose. This contract means nothing. If it was his only option, I'd tell Eric to forget about it. It has no hold on him."

I scooted to the edge of my seat. "When Eric first returned, if I'd been asked, I would have wanted him to do whatever he needed to do to get out of this marriage. I would have begged him to let everything that he'd worked to have, go. I wouldn't have cared because I would have him back with me … with us. His daughter would have him and nothing else would matter." I stared Niall in his eyes and said, "I would've been wrong. And it would more than likely have ruined us."

After signing the last of his documents, he studied me long and hard before speaking. "What have you learned, Ms. Stackhouse?"

I wanted to tell him but not yet. I just needed a little more leeway and few more questions answered. "When did Eric sign this contract?"

"A month after he'd arrived in Sweden," he answered. "It was time sensitive."

I nodded as I looked at down that folders that lay before me. "Were there any other forms that he had to sign … any other promises that he had to make? Were they trying to hold him to anything that you or he wasn't aware of?"

Niall shook his head no. "Everything that he needed was in that contract," he said as he pointed at the folder. "There was nothing else that he needed to do. I made sure of that. You're killing me, Ms. Stackhouse. Tell me what you know."

"More than I ever expected," I answered. "What I found out today, is going to blow your mind."

I got up from my seat and moved to the seat next to Niall … making sure that I brought the contracts with me.

As I scurried to get to the other side of the table, Niall began to question me about my earlier suggestions. "I know that you say that things have changed as far as the contract goes but there's something that I need to know. You said that you would recommend that Eric break the contract. Had you taken everything into consideration before coming up with that idea?"

"What do you mean?" I asked as I sat down and began preparing the table for my presentation.

"The ramifications that he could face by breaking a contract," he countered. "What about his name? Will any other business associates be able to trust him? There's more to it than just breaking a contract because someone isn't happy with the way things have turned out."

I thought long and hard about how I'd answer his question. If walking away was even a valid option at this point, Eric could've lost everything. Well, not exactly everything. He'd have a percentage of his money left. It's not like he'd be destitute. He'd never have to work again. And his great-great-great-grandchildren will never have to work either. I looked at Niall again and thought about being Eric's business attorney and my now defunct advice.

"What's your answer, Ms. Stackhouse? Would you still encourage Eric to break the contract or would you suggest that he go through with it? Should he stop the dissolution of marriage and stand by his word or should he let it all go?" Niall seemed to be intrigued with my answer because he was now resting his elbows on the table and he was studying my face. And he was waiting for answer.

I looked down at the contracts and then back at my colleague. "Please, call me Sookie and before I answer your question, know that my feelings for Eric have nothing to do with any of what I will say."

Niall nodded. "I believe you."

"Good," I said. "So, my answer is yes. I would recommend that he breaks the contract but only if there were no other choices," I said as I nodded my head. "Putting yourself and your feelings first has everything to do with your business associates trusting you. You must be honest with them. And if he's not honest with them, there is no trust and Eric has to be honest with them. If you were my client, I would tell you the same things."

He smiled. "What would you say to me?"

"I would tell you to tell them that this life is no longer the life that you want. You want more. You want to be free to live. If I was a business associate of yours, I would appreciate you telling me the truth. My biggest concern would be your capabilities to handle a business that I'm clearly invested in. This is my livelihood." Pointing at him, I said, "You put the food on my table and the roof over my family's head. Your businesses are my livelihood. You would owe me."

Leaning forward, I said, "Look at it this way. How could Eric give me what I'm owed and he's not giving the businesses one hundred percent of his effort … of his heart? How am I to believe that he's got my best interests at heart? I'd have more respect for him if he told me flat out that he doesn't want to be involved with the businesses anymore. He has others that work under him that appear to be more than capable of doing what he's not willing to do. He's thinking of me and my investment. I would think that it's best that he moves on. What is he really going to lose? A lot of stress. A lot of money. So what? It's only money. What's money when it comes to your happiness and peace of mind?" I laughed. "I know that's easy for me to say because I've never really had money but I love my happiness and my peace of mind. You can't buy that."

"You mean this?" he asked me.

I nodded my head yes. "I do. I think that status and money in this world is overrated. Why would you be willing to let that stuff control who you are and who you become? I couldn't live like that. I love me too much for that. And from what I've learned from his, it is what Eric wants. I put myself in his shoes and I went from there. He's more than his money and his name."

Niall placed his hand atop mine as he looked at me. "Is that what you do, Sookie?" he asked. "Put yourself in their shoes?"

"I do. That's what I've always done. I have to, Mr. Brigant," I said. "It's my job. I do for my clients what I'd want done for me. It's only fair."

With a slight nod of his head, he said, "Call me Niall."

"Thank you, Niall," I replied. "I know that my suggestion can be seen as negligent but it's not. It would negligent of me to lie to him. To have him do something that he's clearly not willing to do. Eric is so much more than Northman Enterprises. Eric's businesses are worth billions of dollars. He has a few side businesses that he owns that aren't attached to the ones that he wants to out of. I'm under the impression that he's tired of the big corporate businesses because they're the only ones mentioned in the contracts or either they're the only ones that are supposed to be mentioned in the contracts."

I stared at Niall as I waited for an answer. He obviously didn't realize that's what I wanted because he didn't say anything. I took that as my queue to keep going.

"But what if Eric wants to keep the Northman businesses?" I said. "What if he wants to keep all of it and doesn't want to let any of it go?" I then leaned in closer to my colleague. "What if it's possible for Eric to have everything that he wants and more. Northman Enterprises … Madden Corporations… his name … me and Flynn? What if he could have everything that he's ever wanted and he doesn't have to lose anything?"

The corner of Niall's mouth almost twitched into a smile. What he's been waiting for was about to make itself known.

"Before today, Eric had three options that he could use. He could end the marriage to Freyda by the end of next week and he's free … according to this contract."

"What did you say?" Niall's back straightened when I said that.

I lifted my hand and said, "Just a minute. I'm almost there. His second and third choices are that he can give it all up or he can fight for his freedom. I think that he would choose the latter. Eric isn't a quitter. He never has been and he never will be. If this is what he truly wants, if he truly wants to get out, he can give it all up and never look back. But that's not what we want … he wants. I know him."

It was as simple as that.

"He's not stuck, Niall. If he's stuck, then that's what he wants to be … stuck. I can only guess that he hasn't taken the easy out because he's not sure if that's really what he wants to do. Eric doesn't like easy. Never has."

Niall looked down at the papers he'd signed. I could only guess what he was thinking. He was probably thinking that I'm haphazard and too loose with my willingness to tell a client to break a contract. He'd definitely tell Eric about it. Probably as soon as our discussion is over as a matter of fact. But so what? He'll know what he's getting in an attorney. He will know that I'm the type of attorney that looks at all sides before making a decision.

Niall frowned at me. "What do you mean?"

I picked up the new contract and slid it in front of Niall as I moved the other one to the side. "I mean that with the contract that was delivered to me today, I've learned that if Eric is not willing to be a part of the corporate world, he can just relinquish all control of the companies to someone that he trusts."

He began flipping through the pages of the new contract. "What do you mean?" he asked once again.

"I'll show you." I put on my glasses as I rudely took the contract from him and began to flip through the orange color coded pages of the contract that had been delivered this afternoon.

Once I was on the page that I needed, I skimmed over the page to find what I was in search of. "Here," I said as I slid the contract over to him. "Read this here. The companies can be transferred to someone else. He won't be in complete control but he will still have 49% of Northman Enterprises."

Niall then rudely took the contract from me and put on his reading glasses. After reading what I'd pointed out, he began to flip through several of the pages. A few times he stopped to read. "I have never seen this contract before tonight," he said. "Where did you find this?"

"I didn't find it," I answered. "They were delivered today," I advised. I didn't want to mention that Apish Neon had it delivered to me. I wasn't sure of who this person is or where they were getting their information. I needed to do a little investigating before I took my concerns to Eric. "They were delivered to me while I was out with Pam. Todd left them on my desk."

I grabbed the contract that Eric gave me and placed it on top of the contracts that Niall was reading. I opened up the first contract and pointed out my findings to him. "Look at this one," I said. "This contract, the one that Eric gave me, has the stipulation that he has to be involved with the businesses for twenty-five years. I'm assuming that Freyda is a part of the businesses."

"You are right," Niall clarified.

I rolled my eyes before continuing. "After the twenty-five years, he's free to do what he wants but what would be the point? He'll have wasted twenty-five years of his life doing something that he doesn't want to do and married to someone that he apparently despises. If he was to be forced to be with her for that long, it will more than likely change him and not for the better."

Niall began to read over the contract. "Yeah. I know all of this. I know this contract like I know the back of my hand." He wanted to get back to the new discovery just as I did.

"Now this one," I said as I placed the newest contract over the one that Eric gave to me. "Read this one. It says here that after five years, Eric can sign over full control of the company to a board member. As I said earlier, he won't have control but he will be allowed to stay on the board. He'll have a say in what happens but not the final word."

He looked at me and asked, "Who gave this to you, Sookie?" He was frowning as he read over the new discovery. He was reading and flipping through pages. "I've never seen these before tonight. Those sneaky sons of bitches." He looked at me and asked again, "Where did you get this?"

"I can honestly say that I don't know." I placed my hand on the contract as I talked with Niall. "It is a Godsend as far as I'm concerned."

He placed his hand on my shoulder and said, "Tell me everything that Todd told you when he gave you this information."

"Nothing," I said. Not exactly lying, I told him a half truth. "They were delivered this evening. I don't know who sent them to me or from where they came. Todd left them on my desk. He was already gone for the day when I came back to the office. None of that matters right now, Niall," I said. "Eric's chances of keeping everything intact is right at his fingertips." I then began to whisper. "One part of the contract states that a child has to be born of him and his wife. Niall, is he supposed to have a child with Freyda? Is that why he's married to her?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Is that why he hasn't slept with her since marrying her?"

"Yes," he said.

"Do you know that he and Freyda are separated?"

"Yes," he replied. "I'm the one that drew up the document."

"Does Victor know?"

He shook his he no. "Freyda can't tell him. It's a part of their separation agreement. If she tells him, she loses everything. She's lost some of her control for speaking to Victor about Eric leaving her last night. Sookie, there is something that you should know. Eric could've ended this marriage long ago. He only needs to get her pregnant but he refused."

Though I knew why he wouldn't do it, I had to hear Niall say it. "Why?"

"Because of you," he answered.

I smiled as exhaled. There's nothing that I wouldn't do for Eric to set him free of the Maddens. "Niall, did you know that if Eric has another child with another woman, the contract with the Maddens' is null and void?"

"Get the fuck out of here!" Niall exclaimed.

"After we're done, I will," I said as I smiled. "I can't wait to get home."

He shook his head as he apologized. "Forgive me. I'm never this vulgar when a woman is in the room."

"It's okay," I assured him. "Niall, nothing is as it seems. This contract that was delivered to me today, I think that this is the original contract. This was never supposed to be found. Eric was never supposed to be free. He was to be bound to Freyda for the rest of his life. If he lived to be 200 years old, he was supposed to be stuck with her."

Niall frowned as he scooted in closer to me. He, too, began to whisper. "Why do you say that?"

"Look at the dates," I said as I placed both contracts in front of him. "This contract was done years before Eric was born. This contract here, the one that Eric gave to me, was done back in 2004 … when Eric first left for Sweden. This has to be a contract that Appius had to have drawn up on his own. This is not the contract from Erica." I chuckled. "What surprises me is that in the new contract, there was no stipulation that Eric could have no contact with me. I guess they didn't think that we'd still be in love after all of these years." I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Anyway, this entire thing is a fraud."

Niall knew what was coming next because I could hear it as he held his breath.

I pointed at the newest contract and said, "This isn't Erica's contract. Eric's marriage to Freyda never existed. Eric never signed the original contract. He was tricked into signing this one."

"Fuck," Niall whispered. He then looked at me and apologized. "Forgive my language, Sookie."

"It's okay. That's what I said."

He gave me a brief hug as he began to read. "This is fucking fantastic, Sookie."

"But why would they do this to him, Niall?" I asked. "What are they getting out of this?"

From the look in Niall's eyes, I knew that he knew the answer but he wasn't going to tell me. "It's up to Eric to tell you why the contract exists in the first place but their deceptive ways … the fraud … I don't understand what's going on but we will find out." He placed his hand on my shoulder and said, "You've done a wonderful job, Sookie."

"Thank you," I said. "Niall?"

"Yes," he replied.

"He's been free all of this time and he never knew it."

Niall's smile slowly vanished.

"We can't tell him," I said. "Not yet. It will destroy him. I'm afraid that it will take him to a dark place and we can't have him there. It'll break him. He would do things from which he could never return."

Niall obviously agreed. He looked worried.

"That's why we can't tell him. I have a plan."

"Tell me."

"I'm getting together a team to work on digging into the background of the Maddens. I want to use whatever dirt we can find to take everything from them. Once we set up a meeting with them, we will bring the original contract forward," I explained. "Will you be a part of it?"

"Yes," he promised.

"So, can we keep this new contract from Eric for just a while … a couple of days?"

Niall considered my words for a long minute. There was something behind his eyes and I couldn't figure out what it was. Was he studying me? Was he trying to decide whether or not he should trust me? Did he feel that he would be going against Eric if he kept this from him? I could validate whatever he was feeling but I just hoped that he'd do it. Give me chance. I just needed a chance. I didn't have to wait too much longer because he answered my questions.

"I can do that," he said. "I'll give you until Monday of next week to figure this out. If we can find a way to bring the Maddens down, we will do it together. I have a few people that can help us out with our research. You have my support."

I released the breath that I didn't realize that I was holding. "Thank you, Niall. I promise you, you won't regret it."

Niall gripped my hand as he stared into my eyes. "Sookie, there is something else that awaits you in this firm," he said. "Something more than working as Eric's business attorney."

"Okay," I said as I waited.

Niall placed the papers in front of me and handed me his ink pen. "If you want what awaits you, it is yours."

I looked down at the papers and then back at Niall. Smiling, I said, "I'm an attorney, Niall."

"And a very good one," he said.

"Thank you," I said. "I appreciate the accolades but before I even think of signing these, I have to read what I'm signing. I could be signing over my life as well as my freedom."

Niall laughed as he agreed. "You are right, Sookie. You could be but ask yourself this. Do you think that Eric would deceive you in such away? Do you think that he would betray you like that?"

I rapidly began to shake my head no. "I'd never think that. I love him," I proclaimed. "There is nothing that I wouldn't do for him. Anything that he wants, I will do."

He smiled at me. "And he loves you too. He has spent thousands of dollars looking for you and when he found you, he left Sweden as soon as he could. You are all that has ever mattered to him. And now that he knows that he has a child with you, he's going to do whatever he has to do to be with you both. This is the life that he wants. You are the life that he wants." Niall began to shake his head in amusement. "He had pictures of you in all of his offices … Sweden, Japan, and Paris. He had them in his home. He still carries them in his wallet. Granted they were from high school but he had them just the same."

My heart swelled with love. "I love him, Niall. I love him so much."

He took my hand and held in gently in his. "Do you trust him?"

"With my life," I said without hesitation.

"Sign," he ordered. "Trust him and sign."