Chapter 2 - THE SILVER POCKET WATCH
“I promise,” Adrian said, his voice dropping to a low, absolute register that commanded the entire room. “No one will punish the person who helped you. You have my word as the head of this family.”
I believed him. I had to.
I took a shaky breath and looked toward the arched doorway of the kitchen.
“It was Leo,” I said softly.
A collective gasp swept through the dining room. Leo was Adrian’s eight-year-old nephew. His parents had died three years ago, leaving him a silent, terrified ghost who wandered the mansion's halls. I was the only staff member who bothered to leave him plates of warm cookies or read to him on the stairs.
“Leo?” Victoria stood up, her face flushing with anger. “You used my grandson to steal from me?”
“I didn't use him,” I shot back, my protective instinct overriding my fear. “He was hiding under the serving station. He does that when there are large parties because the noise scares him. When I saw the document in your folder, I froze. I knew I couldn't carry it into the dining room.”
I looked at Adrian.
“Leo saw me crying. He reached out, took the original paper from my hand, and shoved it under his shirt. Then, Miss Vanessa walked into the hallway.”
Vanessa’s hands gripped the edge of the mahogany table. Her knuckles were bone white.
“I didn't know the boy was under the table,” Vanessa whispered. “I just saw Emily standing there with the open folder. I panicked. I slipped the replacement document inside and snapped it shut.”
Adrian didn't look at his fiancée. He kept his eyes on the folded paper I had placed in front of him.
He slowly opened it.
His eyes scanned the heavy black ink. The silence in the room was suffocating. I watched the muscle in his jaw tighten, flexing with a rage he was fighting to contain.
“This is an authorization form,” Adrian said, his voice dangerously calm. “It releases four million dollars from the warehouse fire relief trust.”
“Yes,” Victoria said smoothly, regaining her composure. She smoothed the front of her expensive dress. “The funds were sitting stagnant, Adrian. Our family business needs a capital injection. I was simply reallocating resources.”
“Reallocating?” Adrian’s voice cracked like a whip. “This is a charity trust, Mother. It belongs to the families of the men who burned to death on our property fifteen years ago. You’re draining it.”
“I’m protecting our legacy!” Victoria fired back.
Adrian looked down at the paper again. “And this money isn't going into our business accounts. The beneficiary is listed as Blackwood Holdings.”
He looked up, locking eyes with Richard Bellamy.
The family attorney hadn't moved. He sat perfectly still by the fireplace, nursing a glass of bourbon.
“Blackwood Holdings is your private firm, Richard,” Adrian said.
Richard didn't flinch. He calmly reached into his tailored vest pocket and pulled out a heavy silver pocket watch. He clicked it open, studying the face with infuriating indifference.
“It is,” Richard agreed, snapping the watch shut.
“You’re stealing from the victims to pay our lawyer?” Adrian demanded, standing up. His chair scraped violently against the floor.
“It’s not stealing, Adrian,” Vanessa interrupted. Her voice was shaking, but she stood tall in her red silk gown. “It’s extortion.”
Victoria whipped her head toward her future daughter-in-law. “Shut your mouth, Vanessa.”
“No,” Vanessa said, tears finally brimming in her eyes. She looked at Adrian. “I swapped the document tonight to stop the transfer. I marked it ‘Payments Suspended’ hoping the bank would freeze the account. I was trying to protect you.”
“Protect me from what?” Adrian asked.
Vanessa pointed a trembling finger at the attorney.
“From him. Richard has been blackmailing your mother for a decade. The warehouse fire wasn't an accident, Adrian. And Richard has the proof.”
The room erupted. Guests began murmuring in panic. Some pushed their chairs back, ready to leave.
Richard Bellamy smiled a slow, cold smile. He slipped the silver pocket watch back into his vest.
“It’s a very touching defense, Vanessa,” Richard said smoothly. “But you’re a little too late.”
May you like
He looked at Adrian.
“The bank transfer was scheduled for 8:00 PM. It’s now 8:15. The money has already cleared.”
