Chapter 5 - The Snake's Retreat
For a second, I thought Arthur was going to attack us. His knuckles turned white on the golf club, his chest heaving with rage.
"You little brat," he growled, lunging forward.
I stepped in front of Lucy, ready to fight him with everything I had left in my old bones. "Touch her, and I swear to God, Arthur, the police won't be the ones you need to worry about."
"Arthur, stop!" Chloe suddenly panicked, grabbing his arm. "The neighbors. If they call the cops and this gets out, the wedding is ruined. My family's reputation will be destroyed!"
Chloe’s father was a wealthy local developer who was financing Arthur’s new business ventures. A public scandal of this magnitude would ruin them both before they could even walk down the aisle.
Arthur stared at the phone in Lucy's hand, then at the metal box I held tightly against my chest. He slowly lowered the golf club, his face twisting into a mask of pure hatred.
"Keep the trash," Arthur spat, turning around. "Keep the girls. But you listen to me, Charles. If a single second of those recordings gets out, I will sue you for defamation. I will tie you up in court until you are bankrupt and homeless. Enjoy your instant family. You have until the end of the month to vacate any association with my name."
They walked back toward the mansion, leaving us in the dark, rainy night.
May you like
We hurried back to my car. As I started the engine, Lucy looked at me, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. "We have to open the envelope, Grandpa. Mom said to open it only when we were safe."
I parked the car under a streetlamp a mile away from the estate. With trembling hands, I broke the blue wax seal on the final envelope.
