Chapter 3 - The Hidden Truth
Richard stepped fully into the nursery, a menacing, perfectly rehearsed smile spreading across his face.
He looked from the dead, blackened fern to Elena's pale, frightened face.
He asked her if she lacked a green thumb, his deep voice dripping with dark, unmistakable sarcasm.
Elena forced a polite smile and desperately blamed the harsh air conditioning for the plant's sudden demise.
Richard stepped closer, his towering presence making the large room feel incredibly claustrophobic.
He warned her in a low whisper that curiosity was a very dangerous and often fatal trait in this house.
After he finally left, Elena knew she had to find out exactly what the Hawthornes were planning to do to this boy.
She waited until midnight, when the sprawling mansion was completely silent and the security guards were patrolling outside.
She used a simple hairpin from her purse to quietly pick the lock on Victoria's private study on the first floor.
The massive room smelled of expensive leather, old books, and closely guarded secrets.
Elena quickly booted up the sleek computer resting on the mahogany desk, silently praying there was no password.
She got lucky and immediately opened a hidden folder labeled with Julian's full name.
Inside, she found heavily classified legal documents proving Julian was the sole living heir to a billion-dollar trust fund.
The documents stated that if Julian died before his seventh birthday, the entire fortune would legally transfer to Richard and Victoria.
Elena gasped aloud as she opened the most recent text file in the folder.
May you like
It was a pre-written obituary for Julian, lamenting his tragic and sudden passing due to his chronic illness.
The publication date set on the obituary was exactly for tomorrow.
