Part 10
Before I could even process Theodore’s warning, the sound of a roaring sports car engine echoed from the front driveway.
I walked to the window and looked down.
A sleek black sports car had pulled up directly behind my vehicle, screeching to a halt.
The door flung open, and Julian Anderson stepped out.
He was dressed in a sharp European suit, his expression a mask of cold, calculated fury.
Unlike his mother, who let her emotions drive her to hysterical outbursts, Julian was known in the business world as a ruthless strategist.
He didn't waste time shouting.
He walked straight up the front steps, slamming the heavy oak doors open below.
I took Grandma’s journal, wrapped it tightly in a cloth bag along with the flash drive, and placed it inside my jacket pocket.
I unlocked the bedroom door and walked out to the top of the grand staircase just as Julian entered the foyer.
Mrs. Gable was standing there, trembling, as Julian threw his leather briefcase onto the marble floor.
“Where is she?” Julian demanded, his voice dropping to a dangerous register.
“I’m right here, Julian,” I called down from the landing, my hands resting on the polished banister.
He snapped his head up, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that would have terrified me a year ago.
He slowly walked up the stairs, each step deliberate, until he stood just two steps below me, trying to use his height to intimidate me.
“You had your little moment of theater last night, Myra,” he said, his voice smooth but dripping with malice. “You embarrassed my mother. You caused a temporary dip in our stock value. But you played your hand far too early.”
May you like
“Did I?” I asked, refusing to back down an inch.
“You think an old will and a random audio file can dismantle what we’ve built?” Julian chuckled coldly. “Our legal team will have that recording dismissed as a hoax by noon. The board answers to me, not to a dead woman’s ghost. You’re going to hand over whatever else you took from that room, and then you’re going to pack your bags and disappear. If you don't, I will personally ensure you spend the rest of your life defending yourself against defamation lawsuits you can’t afford.”
