Marina nodded.

‘Then congratulations – you’re about to become a very rich woman.’ She reached into her bag and pulled out the contract that Mateo’s lawyers had drawn up. She set it down carefully on the table, watching how Marina’s eyes drifted over it – catching on the words ‘ten million euros’ which had deliberately been set in bold type.

‘I know this is a lot to take in,’ she said, wondering privately whether it really was, or whether Marina was still acting the ingenue here; her mask hadn’t slipped once, not in any of their meetings. ‘But this isn’t a joke. This is a legally binding document, bequeathing the sum of ten million euros to you’ – she was careful to keep repeating the words, making them real. ‘From the Mendoza family trust. Let me be clear: this is not a loan; there are no tricks. Spend it, save it, give it away – the money is yours to do with as you wish. The only conditions upon you, as I have said, are that if you accept this offer today, you can have no further contact with Mr Mendoza at all; you must cut all contact with him. And you can never make any future claims on the Mendoza estate. This settles your account, if you like, once and for all.’

Marina stared from her to the contract and back again.

‘All you have to do is read it and sign, Marina. It’s that easy.’

Slowly, Marina reached forward and took the contract from her, looking down again at the white paper, crisp and bright in her hands, and with the power to change her life. Her eyes moved down the sheet, snagging on the baffling legalese she could never have encountered before.

Charlotte sat back in the chair, watching her. ‘If there’s anything you don’t understand, please ask. I can explain it to you. You must be absolutely sure you understand what this means in its entirety.’

Marina read it in silence once, two times, no doubt looking for tricks, something in the wording that was going to take it all away from her again. Finally her gaze came back up to Charlotte’s again. ‘I’m going to need time to think about it.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Charlotte shook her head firmly. ‘You can take as long as you need to read through whilst I am here but this is a one-shot offer. You either sign today and the money will be in your account within five minutes; or you don’t, and the offer is withdrawn. I will leave here and everything will be the same as it ever was.’ She gave an easy shrug, hoping Marina wouldn’t stop to think and wonder what this offer might actually be obscuring, for it was a glittering unicorn of a deal, there to dazzle and distract her from the real prize, which although bigger was by no means guaranteed.

She watched as the sinews in Marina’s neck became more pronounced, the stress building, and as her hesitation stretched, Charlotte saw that Marina had known more than she had let on. She knew she was having to decide whether to take this or hold out for more and play for all of it. If she didn’t know that was even an option, there wouldn’t be a decision to have to make and that contract would have been signed already – for who would turn down ten million euros, unless they knew there was the potential for even more?