Chapter 6 - The Encounter
Despite my refusal, Robert and Sylvia were desperate. They ambushed us.
We were leaving a pediatric appointment for Leo at an exclusive private clinic when they rushed out from an alleyway, blocking the path to the Rolls-Royce. They looked awful. Robert’s custom suits were wrinkled, his hair unkempt. Sylvia looked aged, her face gaunt without her expensive treatments.
“Elena! Elena, wait!” Robert cried, holding his hands up as James, our driver, immediately stepped between us.
Grandfather tightened his grip on his cane. “James, call security.”
“No, wait, Arthur, please!” Sylvia begged, falling to her knees on the pavement. She looked at me, her eyes brimming with tears. “Elena, look at me! It’s your mother! You can’t let him do this to us. We’re losing the house tomorrow. They’re foreclosing.”
I stood perfectly still, clutching Leo’s carrier.
“You threw me into the snow, Mom,” I said, my voice steady, surprising even myself. “You told me to leave.”
“We were stressed!” Robert shouted, his desperation turning into anger. “You have no idea the pressure we were under! You’re just a spoiled girl who doesn’t understand how the real world works! We protected you!”
“Protected her?” Grandfather stepped forward, his presence suffocating Robert’s outburst. “By forging her signature? By stealing her inheritance? Tell her, Robert. Tell her why you needed six million dollars so desperately.”
Robert froze, his eyes darting away. Sylvia looked down at the concrete.
“Tell her,” Grandfather commanded.
When they remained silent, Grandfather looked at me. “My forensic accountants found it yesterday. Your father didn’t just lose the money in bad investments. He had a massive gambling addiction. He owed millions to some very dangerous men in Atlantic City. He used your trust fund to pay off the mob so they wouldn’t break his legs.”
I stared at the man who had raised me, feeling absolutely nothing but disgust.
“You used my son’s future to pay off your debts,” I said coldly.
“Elena, please...” Robert whimpered.
May you like
“Move out of my way,” I said, stepping past them toward the car. “If you ever come near me or my son again, I will have you arrested for harassment.”
We got into the car, leaving them kneeling in the gutter.
