A lost heir

"What's wrong?" you ask. The worried look at Abby's face concerns you since she's normally very composed. She has a large envelope in her hands and she hands it to you. It's already opened and you pull out the papers inside. It's some sort of letter, addressed to your attorney Abby. You take some time to read the letter, following Abby downstairs to the study as you do. She sits in silence across from you until you finish the pretty lengthy letter.

"We have a problem," Abby repeats.

You nod slowly, deep in thought. "I suppose that's right."

"You suppose?" Abby says incredulously. "Look how detailed her documentation is. All it will take is a DNA test to definitively prove that she's Nigel's daughter."

"You're sure of that?" you ask. The letter is from a 19 year old woman claiming to be Nigel's daughter. It's quite detailed and documents Nigel's whereabouts and interactions with her mother, who is now deceased. She's already asked a judge to exhume Nigel's body for a DNA test, and if it goes her way, she would have claim to Nigel's estate and wealth, and even the women contracted to you.

Abby nods. "I did some research and looked her up. The timeline checks out and this happened before Nigel had the idea of contracts with women with the condition that they would bear him a child by 35. He thought he was infertile, but I guess 1 of his sperm made it without him knowing."

"What about the girl? She's 19? What does she want? Money? Can we settle with her for an amount?" you ask.

"Yes. Ashley Bottner. Mother was a waitress at a diner in Los Angeles trying to make it as an actress. Met Nigel, they hooked up a bunch and I guess she had Ashley after he left. I haven't spoken to miss Bottner yet, but her demands are laid out pretty clearly in the letter. She wants everything and she appears to have knowledge about the contracts and everything about the estate. I'm not sure how she knows, but she's smart. A freaking genius, actually," Abby says, looking at her notes on her phone. "Graduated from MIT at 14. Has PhDs in physics, economics and math. There's not much else about her available, but I'll continue to dig."

"Where is she?"

"A judge has ordered Nigel's body exhumed for the DNA test later today, not sure how she got it fast tracked, so I assume she's in town. I can contact her, but I need to know what we want to do," Abby says. She looks like she has more to add, but she holds her tongue until you prompt her to continue. "John, if she gets everything, I don't know what all of us would do."

"What do you mean?" you ask.

"The contracts. She could dissolve them and kick everyone out. And... well, I could probably make it out there by myself, but most of these women? They've grown accustomed to a way of life that Nigel and now you have provided them," Abby says. She seems genuinely concerned about the other women contracted to you more than herself.

You nod and agree. "Set up a meeting as soon as possible. And find out more about her if you can."