Chapter 6 - The Attorney's Ultimatum
The next morning,
the illusion of safety was shattered when three black SUVs tore up the gravel driveway of the lake house.
Margaret stood at the window,
her face hardening as she saw Julian step out of the lead vehicle,
flanked by several men in dark suits.
She turned to Leo,
who had just woken up,
his eyes filled with immediate panic as he heard the car doors slamming outside.
“Stay in the back room,
Leo,” Margaret ordered,
her voice tight and commanding.
“Lock the door,
and do not come out no matter what you hear,
do you understand me?”
The boy nodded quickly,
running down the hallway and clicking the lock shut just as the front door of the cabin was kicked open.
Julian walked in,
shaking the morning dew off his expensive overcoat,
his face twisted into a smug,
triumphant smile.
“You really thought you could hide from me here,
Margaret?” Julian asked,
looking around the rustic living room with disdain.
“This is family property,
every vehicle you own has a tracking device,
and you are making this far more difficult than it needs to be.”
“Get out of my house,
Julian,” Margaret said,
standing her ground in the center of the room.
“This isn't your house,
it belongs to the Hale estate,
which I now control as the sole managing executor,” Julian countered,
stepping closer to her.
“You are acting erratically,
Margaret,
and the board is prepared to declare you mentally incompetent due to severe grief.”
Margaret laughed,
a cold,
bitter sound that surprised him.
“Mentally incompetent?
Because I found out the truth about how you murdered my son?”
Julian’s smile vanished instantly,
his eyes narrowing into two dangerous slits of ice.
“You should be very careful about the accusations you fling around,
old woman,” he whispered,
his voice dropping to a menacing tone.
“Daniel was a reckless boy who drove his car off a cliff,
and that is the official police record,
end of story.”
“Daniel wrote me a letter,
Julian,” Margaret said,
watching his face closely.
“He wrote it three days before he died,
and he told me everything about the money laundering,
the cartels,
and your threats.”
A flicker of genuine alarm passed through Julian’s eyes,
but he quickly recovered his composure,
sneering at her.
“A letter from a dead teenager means nothing in a court of law,
as it’s hearsay,
nothing more.”
“What about Edward’s ledger?” Margaret asked,
raising her chin high.
“The ledger that details every single illegal transaction you’ve made for the last twenty-five years?”
Julian’s jaw tightened,
his fists clenching at his sides as he realized she knew about the ultimate threat to his freedom.
“Where is it?” Julian demanded,
taking a threatening step toward her.
“Where is the ledger,
Margaret?”
“I don't have it,” she lied smoothly,
keeping her voice steady.
“But I know where it is,
and if anything happens to me or to Leo,
it will be automatically sent to the federal prosecutors.”
Julian stared at her,
trying to read her expression,
trying to determine if she was bluffing or telling the truth.
“You are playing a very dangerous game,” Julian hissed,
leaning in so close she could smell his expensive cologne.
“I am giving you one final ultimatum,
Margaret,
as you will hand over the boy,
you will sign over your voting shares in the company to me,
and I will ensure you live out the rest of your days in luxury.”
“And if I refuse?” she asked.
“If you refuse,” Julian said,
his voice turning entirely devoid of human emotion,
“then both you and that little bastard will suffer the exact same accident that Daniel did twenty years ago.”
He turned on his heel,
walking toward the door,
but paused before stepping out into the rain.
“You have twenty-four hours to decide,
Margaret,
so enjoy the view of the lake while you still can.”
The door slammed shut behind him,
May you like
leaving Margaret alone in the quiet cabin,
her heart racing as she realized they were running out of time.
