Chapter 261
“And you two,” Isolde said, her eyes flashing with a predatory light. “Don’t celebrate yet. I am going to make you vomit up every single cent you stole from my family.”
Isolde turned on her heel and walked out, slamming the door behind her.
Grayson sat frozen in the bed. He slowly raised his hand and touched his cheek. His fingers came away wet with blood.
He looked down at the floor. Then, ignoring the screaming pain in his ribs, he leaned over and picked up the ring.
Engraved on the inside of the platinum band were two words: Forever Yours.
Cheryl began dabbing her fur coat with a tissue, cursing loudly. “That bitch is completely unhinged! Grayson, you have to destroy her! Call your lawyers!”
Grayson didn’t hear her.
He gripped the small metal ring in his palm, his knuckles turning bone white. For the first time in his life, a cold, suffocating panic began to claw at his throat.
Isolde sat in the driver’s seat of her car in the hospital parking garage.
Ne𝗐 𝘤𝘩𝖺𝘱𝘁e𝘳s e𝗏𝖾𝗋𝘺 w𝗲𝖾𝗄 о𝘯 𝗴𝖺l𝘯𝗼𝘃𝘦lѕ.𝖼𝗈m
Her hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly her arms shook. The adrenaline was rapidly draining from her system, leaving behind a crushing, leaden exhaustion.
Her phone buzzed in the cup holder. It was Saul.
Isolde picked it up. “Uncle Saul. Is Mom okay?”
“She is sleeping,” Saul said, his voice utterly defeated. “But Isolde… the bank just sent an automated email. Because our corporate accounts are frozen, they are initiating foreclosure on the Carson estate tomorrow at noon.”
Isolde’s eyes widened. “The estate? When did Mom put the house up for collateral?”
“Two months ago,” Saul whispered. “To make payroll. It’s the only thing your grandfather left us that isn’t tied to the corporate entity.”
Isolde closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the cold leather of the steering wheel.
Grayson’s knife hadn’t just cut deep. He had twisted it until it hit bone.
“How much?” Isolde asked.
“Five million dollars,” Saul said. “If we don’t wire the funds by noon tomorrow, the house goes to public auction.”
“I understand,” Isolde said. “I will handle it.”
She hung up. She stared at her reflection in the rearview mirror.
She didn’t have five million dollars. Her personal accounts were monitored by Grayson’s legal team, and her trust fund was locked behind Lancaster family stipulations. Her only option was to sell her personal patents to Vanguard Systems — but it was two in the morning. She couldn’t finalize a multi-million dollar tech transfer in ten hours.
Isolde started the engine and drove out of the city, heading toward the Carson estate on Long Island.
She pulled up to the massive wrought-iron gates. The house was dark and silent, holding every good memory she had of her childhood. She unlocked the front door and walked into the grand foyer, her eyes lifting to the massive oil painting of her grandfather hanging above the staircase.
She crossed to the banister and rested her hand on the polished wood. “Grandfather. I’m sorry. I let a wolf into our home.”
A pair of headlights swept across the front windows.