Chapter 18 - The Uninvited Delivery
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The rain was lashing against the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of my estate, exactly like the night I had confronted Daniel in the car.
I was sitting in my library, enjoying a quiet evening with a cup of tea, when the front doorbell chimed.
I frowned, glancing at the security monitor on my tablet. The camera showed a courier in a dark raincoat standing on the porch, holding a small, brown package.
I hadn't ordered anything.
I cautiously opened the front door, leaving the security chain attached.
“Claire Bennett?” the courier asked, his face mostly hidden by a wet baseball cap.
“Yes.”
“Package requires a signature,” he grunted, holding out an electronic pad through the gap in the door.
I signed it, took the small, heavy box, and closed the door, locking it securely.
I walked back into the library, turning the package over in my hands. There was no return address. Just my name and the estate's address printed in sharp, block letters.
I grabbed a letter opener from the desk and sliced through the packing tape.
Inside the cardboard box was a layer of bubble wrap. I pulled it away, revealing a small, black velvet jewelry box.
My heart skipped a beat.
I opened the velvet box.
Resting on the dark fabric was a stunning, flawless diamond tennis bracelet.
It was the exact bracelet Leo, my friend's son, had mentioned finding the receipt for in Daniel’s email all those months ago. The bracelet Daniel had bought for Ashley.
Tucked beneath the sparkling diamonds was a small, folded piece of thick, expensive parchment paper.
My hands began to tremble as I unfolded the note.
The handwriting was elegant, sharp, and terrifyingly familiar.
A debt paid in full does not mean the game is over, Claire. You play too well to sit on the sidelines.
May you like
See you soon.
— M.
