“After the tragedy,” Arthur said, “Julian’s marriage collapsed under the weight of grief. His wife moved away with young Caleb, cutting off all contact. Julian spent the next four decades living like a recluse, pouring every penny he earned from his tailoring business and quiet investments into a private trust fund.”
“Why did he marry me, Arthur?” I asked, looking up from the red dress. “Why a stranger he met in a hospital room?”
Arthur reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a sealed envelope, handing it to me. “Because Julian knew his time was short, and he knew his estranged son, Caleb—now a ruthless corporate developer—was searching for him. Caleb didn’t want reconciliation. He had discovered that Julian owned a prime piece of commercial real estate downtown—the original building where his old tailor shop stood—now worth millions. Under state law, if Julian died unmarried and intestate, the entire estate would automatically revert to Caleb.”
