Chapter 16 - The Uninvited Guests
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The morning after the shootout, Nora woke up in Arthur’s bed.
He was already gone, leaving only the scent of sandalwood and gun oil on the pillows. He had left before dawn to handle the Romano problem.
Nora carefully dressed, favoring her wounded arm, and walked downstairs to check on the children. The house was quiet, heavily guarded, but tense.
As she reached the bottom of the grand staircase, Silvio approached her, looking deeply uncomfortable.
“Mrs. Costa. We have a situation at the front gate.”
“Is it the Romanos?” Nora asked, instantly alert.
“No, ma'am. It’s your parents. Richard and Diane Hayes. They are demanding to see you.”
Nora froze. The contract explicitly forbade them from coming here.
“Let them in,” Nora said, her voice turning to ice. “Bring them to the drawing room. But keep your men in the room.”
When Nora walked into the drawing room, Richard and Diane were standing by the fireplace, looking around at the priceless art with greedy, calculating eyes.
“Nora, darling!” Diane gasped with fake affection, stepping forward.
Nora held up her hand, stopping her mother in her tracks.
“You have exactly three minutes to explain why you are violating the terms of Arthur’s agreement before I have my men throw you out onto the street.”
Richard frowned, offended by her tone.
“Watch your mouth, Nora. We heard about the shootout at the park. It’s all over the underworld channels. The Romanos are declaring open war on the Costas.”
“And?” Nora asked coldly.
“And,” Richard stepped closer, “Arthur Costa is likely going to end up in a body bag by the end of the week. If he dies, you inherit the entire estate. We want to ensure that our family—the Hayes family—is properly compensated for providing him with a wife.”
Nora stared at her parents in absolute disgust.
They didn’t come to see if she survived the bullets. They came to extort her in case her husband died.
“You sold me because I was broken,” Nora said, her voice eerily calm. “You threw me to the wolves because you thought I was useless.”
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“It was a business transaction, Nora,” Richard dismissed.
“Yes. It was.” Nora stepped right up to her father, fearless. “But you forgot one detail, Richard. The wolf who bought me made me the queen of his pack.”
