Chapter 16 - The Unexpected Guest
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From the huddled, terrified mass of wealthy guests, a single man stepped forward.
He smoothed the lapels of his expensive charcoal suit, projecting a calm that felt entirely out of place in a room filled with weeping socialites and armed cartel enforcers. I recognized him instantly. It was Arthur Vance, Brandon’s high-powered business attorney. He was the man who had drafted the transfer documents currently sitting in a puddle of my blood.
Arthur didn't look afraid. He walked past a line of armed men without flinching and stopped a few feet away from my father.
"Abraham," Arthur said quietly.
My father stopped. His broad shoulders stiffened, and he slowly turned his head. The deadly calm that had radiated from him since he walked through the door suddenly fractured. He stared at Arthur, his jaw clenching so tightly I thought his teeth might crack.
They knew each other.
"Arthur," my father replied, his voice laced with a venom I had never heard before. "You have a lot of nerve standing in my daughter's house."
The attorney offered a small, polite smile that didn't reach his eyes. "It’s a complicated world, Abraham. We go where the business dictates."
Arthur reached slowly inside his tailored jacket. Instantly, three of Dad’s men drew their weapons, aiming directly at the attorney's chest. Arthur raised his left hand placatingly, while his right hand smoothly withdrew a thick, sealed black envelope.
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"I warned you this day would come, Abraham," Arthur said softly, extending the envelope. "You thought you could hide her from the truth forever. But blood always demands an accounting."
For the first time that entire night, looking at my father’s face, I saw something impossible. I saw fear.
