Chapter 2 - The Midnight KnockThe sound of the knocker reverberated through the mansion, freezing Natalie’s mocking laughter mid-air. Eleanor’s hand hovered over her wine glass, her fingers trembling ever so slightly against the crystal stem.
"Who on earth could that be at this hour?" Eleanor muttered, glancing nervously toward the foyer. "It’s past midnight. The staff left hours ago."
"Go check," Natalie whispered, nudging her mother’s arm. "Tell them to go away. We're in the middle of a family matter."
I didn't move an inch. I remained standing at the head of the table, my shadow stretching long and dark across the expensive Persian rug.
"You don't need to answer it," I said, my voice cutting through the silence. "I already let him in."
Heavy, measured footsteps echoed across the marble floor of the foyer. A tall, impeccably dressed man in a charcoal bespoke suit stepped into the dining room. He carried a heavy leather briefcase embossed with the gold seal of Harris, Sterling & Vance Law Firm.
Arthur Harris. Senior partner, executor of my late father’s estate, and a legal shark who had spent forty years burying corporate predators and corrupt aristocrats.
"Arthur," Eleanor breathed, her face instantly lighting up with a practiced, saccharine smile as she stood up to greet him. "Thank goodness you’re here. You simply must talk some sense into Daniel. He’s standing here making the most absurd threats about the estate, and—"
Arthur didn't even look at her. He bypassed Eleanor entirely, his sharp eyes locking onto me. He walked straight to the head of the table, stopped three feet away, and snapped his briefcase open with a crisp click.
He raised his chin, pulled out a pristine white envelope, and bowed his head slightly.
"Good evening, Commander Carter," Arthur said clearly, his voice formal and resonant.
The dining room went dead silent.
Eleanor froze midway across the room. Natalie’s mouth fell open, her eyes darting between the lawyer and me.
“Commander?” Natalie squeaked, her voice cracking. "Arthur, what did you just call him? He’s a captain! A low-level logistics officer! What kind of sick joke are you playing?"
Arthur slowly turned his gaze toward Natalie, his expression as cold as a glacier. "Miss Carter, your ignorance of your own family’s affairs is matched only by your arrogance. Captain is merely his public rank for military payroll. Within the classified division of the Department of Defense’s Strategic Oversight Command, he holds the rank of Commander."
"That... that's impossible," Eleanor whispered, sinking heavily back into her chair, the color draining entirely from her face. "His father... Richard told me he was just a regular soldier..."
"Richard told you what you needed to hear to keep you from destroying his legacy," Arthur replied smoothly. He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a thick, leather-bound folder tied with a crimson silk ribbon.
He placed it directly in front of me.
"Everything is prepared, sir," Arthur said, looking directly into my eyes. "The contingency clause has been triggered. The five-year probationary period expired at midnight tonight."
May you like
I untied the crimson ribbon, letting it drop to the floor.
"Let's see what they won," I murmured, opening the first page of the document.
