********
"Possibly not," Scholar Chen admitted. "But getting Clara to agree to help is the critical first step. Once she's committed to your case, once she believes you're really Princess Emily, she'll move heaven and earth to access that vault. Clara doesn't give up on her clients."
Emily absorbed this, adjusting her expectations. She'd been imagining walking out of Switzerland with her mother's evidence in hand. But this was a longer process, requiring patience and trust.
"What about payment?" Jack asked practically. "What are Clara's fees?"
"She doesn't charge for cases like this," Scholar Chen said. "Cases involving human rights violations, corrupt regimes, stolen inheritances.....Clara considers them pro bono work. She's independently wealthy and chooses cases based on principle, not profit."
"That's..." Emily struggled to find words. "That's incredibly generous."
