Chapter 13 - THE POISONED GIFTArthur didn't open the envelope immediately. He watched Evelyn slip away into the crowd, her emerald dress disappearing like a phantom among the sea of tuxedoes and designer gowns.
"Dad? Who was that lady?" Leo asked, walking up and tugging gently at Arthur’s jacket sleeve, holding a small plate of macarons.
"Nobody, son," Arthur forced a reassuring smile, immediately sliding the heavy envelope into his inner coat pocket. "Just an old business acquaintance. Are you having fun?"
"It's loud," Leo admitted, looking around the bright ballroom with a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. "It reminds me... of the night you found me. Except there's no wall."
Arthur’s heart ached. He knelt down, pulling Leo into a firm, grounding hug. "You're safe, Leo. No matter what happens, I will never let anyone hurt you again. Let's go home."
By the time they returned to the Sterling estate, the midnight hour had arrived. The house was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of security lights. Arthur tucked Leo into bed, waiting until the boy’s breathing steady and deep before quietly retreating to his private study.
He locked the heavy oak door behind him, walked over to his desk, and pulled out the cream-colored envelope from Evelyn Vance.
Using a silver letter opener, he cracked the black wax seal.
Inside was a single sheet of heavy parchment paper, embossed with a gold insignia. Written in elegant, handwritten cursive was a single sentence:
"Your son’s silence cost three years of his life. Your arrogance will cost you every single share of Sterling Industries by midnight tomorrow. Check the corporate vault."
May you like
Arthur’s breath hitched. He stood up so fast his chair rolled back and crashed against the bookshelf.
Without wasting a second, he sprinted down the private corridor toward the basement level, bypassing the biometric security doors that protected the master corporate vault of the estate.
