[Chapter 420: The $100 Million Children's Trust Fund]
That day, Linton hosted a grand private celebration at the estate to mark the birth of the eldest princess. With a generous wave of his hand, he rewarded all the estate staff with double their monthly pay.
The estate was adorned with festive decorations, and every staff member wore brand-new clothes, beaming with joy. Naturally, due to his and Madonna's sensitive status, no outsiders were invited to the party.
Not even Aunt Kelly was invited, as she was still busy managing charity projects across the country. Inviting his uncle and cousin seemed a bit awkward under the circumstances.
Nevertheless, the party was lively enough with just his women. Winnie Gesso, Nicole Kidman, Sophie Marceau, Monica Bellucci, Cristiana Reali, Jennifer Connelly, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Winona Ryder, Naomi Watts, Cameron Diaz, Shania Twain, Heidi Klum, Kate Winslet, Vivian Chow, Michelle Reis, Izumi Sakai, Noriko Sakai, Akina Nakamori, and Charlize Theron were all there.
A total of 19 stunning women showered Madonna and little Lina with heartfelt blessings and gifts.
Seeing the tiny, rosy-cheeked Lina, everyone was instantly smitten by her cuteness and beauty. Soon, the aunts/step-mothers competed to get close to the baby.
What surprised everyone more was how well-behaved the little one was. After being well-fed, Lina showed no signs of fussiness, letting all 19 women hold her without crying. Sometimes she'd even smile warmly, much to their delight.
Only once, when she was especially close to Cristiana, did she reward someone with a puddle of baby's urine. The following crying melted Aunt Reali's heart instantly.
Cristiana, Sophie, and Monica, who had long decided to have children, watched with starry eyes, each quietly deciding to take a long break, stay at the estate, and stick close to Linton in hopes of conceiving soon.
Linton took the opportunity to introduce Charlize to the rest of the women. To his surprise, they already knew each other's identities -- thanks to a shared trait: each woman wore an identical quartz pendant around her neck.
Seeing a beautiful woman wearing one of those pendants meant, without a word, that she was a new member of the harem.
That night, naturally, they shared beds and continued their exciting party activities and role-playing performances -- keeping the energy alive.
Charlize finally let go of her reservations and integrated fully into the sisterhood, turning out to be an unexpected delight.
However, Madonna wasn't quite as carefree. Even though she had hired a nanny and a baby care team, since little Lina had just been born, she couldn't fully trust them to care for the baby overnight, especially with feeding times.
She would sneak in to hold the baby just after she fell asleep, enjoying a brief moment of delight before rushing back to take care of Lina.
Her behavior amused the sisters endlessly but also amazed them. Could Madonna really be this energetic right after giving birth? It seemed she had broken all their assumptions about new mothers.
---
The next day, Linton called Goodman to the estate and announced a decision in front of all the women.
"I know I'm not a traditional kind of guy, and I can't give each of you a marriage. You all probably worry about the future... about your children's future.
But let me make this clear: my love for you all is real. And to put your minds at ease, I'm providing certain guarantees for every one of our children.
From now on, for any child born to me, I'll establish a separate trust fund starting at birth. I'll deposit $5 million annually into this fund until the child turns 18, and then I'll add an extra $10 million. That means each trust will total $100 million by adulthood. Before the child turns 18, the fund is managed by the mother, who has full control.
Today, I'm setting up the first trust fund for little Lina. My lawyer Goodman will handle all the legal procedures shortly."
"Thank you so much, darling." Upon hearing Linton's words, the first beneficiary, Madonna, was overjoyed, barely able to contain her excitement. Though she was wealthy and capable of earning vast sums through her beauty and talent every year, this trust fund represented Linton's commitment both to her and Lina. That tangible security was what truly mattered.
Besides, by the time Lina grew up, the fund would have ballooned to $100 million -- a fortune enough for any ordinary wealthy person to live comfortably for life.
Madonna wasn't the only one excited. The other women were just as delighted hearing about Linton's plan.
A $100 million guarantee was huge, even for top-tier stars like Naomi, Sophie, Shania, and Cameron. For Vivian Chow, Michelle Reis, Izumi Sakai, Noriko Sakai, and Akina Nakamori, it was practically astronomical.
All lingering doubts about Linton vanished. Marriage was irrelevant compared to such a solid financial assurance backing their children's futures.
...
In truth, Linton had thought long and hard about the trust fund, even consulting with his lawyer Goodman.
This gesture wasn't just about giving the children a financial safety net; it was designed to keep harmony within his harem.
With this trust fund, everyone was equal.
The women no longer had to worry about their children's futures or clash over inheritance issues.
Plus, each woman had her own career, so this plan would prevent competition or rivalry from turning ugly.
"Anyone has any questions? Feel free to ask. I'll answer them all."
"Will you publicly acknowledge all our children? Will they take the Anderson surname?"
"Absolutely. I can't marry any of you or hold weddings, but I will be a responsible father. The kids will carry my surname, Anderson, and I'll acknowledge them publicly whenever it matters."
"Are there limits on how many children each of us can have? Is the trust fund only for the first child or for all children? Are the amounts the same?"
"All children are equal. Every child born will get a trust fund of the same amount. You don't need to worry about the number of kids, but I'll only offer each woman two chances. I trust you'll understand."
"Can the trust money be invested to increase value?"
"Of course. As I said, before the child reaches adulthood, the fund is yours to manage. But there's a condition: you have to provide an investment earnings report at year-end. If losses exceed 20%, you'll need to cover the deficit yourself. Otherwise, I'll freeze the account's expenditure. This rule encourages careful investment and truly protects the child's future. Understand?"
"I agree! I want to ask Winnie here to help manage Lina's trust investments," Madonna said cheerfully, sparking laughter from all the sisters.
Among them, only Charlize and Akina, the newcomers, were still not very familiar with Winnie's investment skills.
*****
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