Chapter 5 - The Queen's Court
The lobby of the Carter Tower was a cathedral of white marble and modern art. Security guards in impeccable suits stood at every entrance.
Richard burst through the revolving doors, dripping wet, looking like a madman.
"I need to see Evelyn!" he yelled, pushing past a receptionist. "Tell her it's Richard! Tell her I need to speak to her!"
Two large security guards immediately intercepted him, grabbing his arms.
"Mr. Hayes, you do not have clearance," one of them said firmly.
"Let him up."
A voice spoke from the mezzanine.
Julian Carter stood there, looking down at Richard with a look of quiet amusement. "Let him see her. It's time for the final audit anyway."
The guards released Richard. He stumbled into the private elevator, Julian joining him in silence. The elevator shot upward, the numbers climbing rapidly until they reached the top floor—the penthouse office of the Chairman of Carter Global.
The doors opened to reveal a massive, minimalist room.
Evelyn sat behind a desk of solid black walnut. She was wearing a simple, elegant navy blue dress. Her hair, which had always been tied back in a modest bun when she was with him, was down, falling in soft waves over her shoulders. She looked younger. She looked free.
"Richard," she said, not looking up from her tablet. "You're getting water on my rug."
"Evelyn... please," Richard gasped, falling to his knees. "I'm sorry. I was blind. I was stupid. I was manipulated by Lauren, by Marcus... even my mother pressure me! You know how she is! She hated you because she knew you were better than us!"
Evelyn set her tablet down. She looked at him, her expression entirely neutral.
"Your mother didn't hate me because she thought I was better than her, Richard," Evelyn said. "She hated me because she knew I knew the truth. She knew that your father’s original fortune was also built on a Carter family grant. Your entire family has been living on our charity for two generations. And you treated me like a dog."
"I can change!" Richard cried, reaching out toward her. "We can get remarried! We can start over! I don't care about the money, I just want you back! We can have a family—"
"Richard," Evelyn interrupted, her voice like ice. "You don't want me. You want your life back. But that life was an illusion."
She stood up and walked to the window, looking out over the city.
"Do you want to know why I waited twenty years?" she asked.
May you like
Richard blinked, his tears mixing with the rainwater on his face. "Why?"
"Because of my father's will," she said.
