Chapter 3 - What Madison Really Wanted
Garrett stared at the flash drive.
“What is that?”
Margaret looked toward me.
I stood.
“I should probably leave.”
“No,” Garrett said.
His mother agreed.
“Stay.”
Garrett frowned.
“Mom—”
“She already risked her livelihood for me. She has earned the truth.”
Margaret pushed the drive toward her son.
“Your father gave me this before he died.”
Garrett didn’t touch it.
“What’s on it?”
“I don’t know.”
“You never opened it?”
“He told me not to unless someone started asking about the Halston property.”
Garrett’s face changed.
I knew nothing about Halston.
But he clearly did.
“Madison asked you?”
“Three months ago.”
“What exactly did she say?”
“She wanted to know whether your father left documents regarding Halston Development.”
Garrett stood.
“Victor.”
His security chief appeared again.
“Get Ethan here.”
“Cyber?”
“Now.”
Thirty minutes later, a laptop sat on the table.
Ethan, a nervous-looking man with glasses, inserted the drive.
Files appeared.
Contracts.
Bank transfers.
Internal emails.
Garrett read silently.
Then his expression hardened.
“Cole Development.”
Margaret nodded.
Madison’s family company.
Ethan opened another document.
“Looks like Garrett’s father discovered fraudulent land transfers involving Cole Development about nine years ago.”
Garrett leaned closer.
“How much?”
Ethan whistled softly.
“More than forty million.”
I stared at the screen.
Margaret looked devastated.
“So Madison wasn’t hurting me because she disliked me.”
“No,” Garrett said.
“She wanted the drive.”
My phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
I ignored it.
It buzzed again.
Garrett noticed.
“Answer.”
I did.
“Hello?”
Madison’s voice came through.
“Rachel.”
I looked at Garrett.
He extended his hand.
Speaker.
I switched it on.
“Miss Cole.”
“You made a serious mistake.”
“Which one?”
“Humiliating me.”
“You fell.”
“You interfered.”
“With you hurting an old woman?”
Margaret raised an eyebrow.
I winced.
“Sorry, Mrs. Weston.”
She almost smiled.
Madison continued.
“You think Garrett will protect you?”
Garrett’s face became unreadable.
“I’m not asking him to.”
“You don’t understand people like us.”
“No, I understand you pretty well.”
“Do you?”
“Yes. You only act brave when the person you’re bullying can’t fight back.”
Silence.
Then Madison’s voice dropped.
“You should leave Chicago.”
Garrett reached for the phone.
Margaret stopped him.
She pointed toward me.
Keep going.
I swallowed.
“Why?”
“Because you’ve inserted yourself into something you don’t understand.”
“What don’t I understand?”
“You’re a waitress, Rachel.”
“You keep saying that like it’s an insult.”
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
I looked at Garrett.
He nodded once.
“Then explain it.”
Madison laughed.
“You’ll find out.”
The call ended.
Victor was already moving.
“I’ll trace it.”
Garrett stood.
“No.”
Victor stopped.
“She wants Rachel frightened.”
“I’m succeeding,” I muttered.
Garrett looked at me.
“You’re not leaving Chicago.”
“That wasn’t actually my plan.”
“You’re also not going home alone.”
I folded my arms.
“Mr. Weston—”
“Garrett.”
“What?”
“My name is Garrett.”
“I know your name.”
“Then use it.”
Margaret looked between us.
Something amused her.
I ignored it.
“Garrett, I don’t need bodyguards.”
“You received a threat thirty seconds ago.”
“I receive threats from customers every Saturday when we run out of lobster.”
“This is different.”
“I noticed.”
Victor’s phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
Then his face changed.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“Madison just entered the restaurant.”
Garrett stared toward the front doors.
“She came here?”
“She’s downstairs.”
Margaret stiffened.
Garrett’s voice became cold.
“Let her in.”
“Garrett,” Margaret whispered.
He looked at his mother.
“She doesn’t touch you again.”
The elevator chimed.
Madison walked into the dining room wearing sunglasses and a white coat.
She stopped when she saw all of us sitting together.
Then she smiled.
“Well.”
Her eyes moved to the laptop.
The smile disappeared.
“You found it.”
Garrett stepped between her and his mother.
“Yes.”
Madison slowly removed her sunglasses.
“So now what?”
“Now you tell me why you spent six months terrorizing my mother.”
Madison’s expression changed.
And for the first time, she stopped pretending to be innocent.
May you like
“Because she wouldn’t give me what belonged to my family.”
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