We file into the eerily silent boardroom behind the guard, and the atmosphere is so heavy you could cut it with a knife.
“Sit.” Carter gestures toward the empty chairs, and we all sit down. Ares and Bree on one side of the table. Jase and me on the other.
“He can’t be here.” Walter Salinger points his finger at Ares. Steam is practically billowing from the Pride & Wrath Luminary’s ears he’s that enraged. Behind the anger is fear, and it’s palpable in the room. “This is no matter for a plebeian.”
“He’s already involved if he was at the crypt,” Manford says. “I’d like to hear what they have to say.” My uncle has schooled his features into a neutral expression, giving nothing away now. Surely, he knows we are here to corroborate Carter’s version of events. Like he must know this is all a setup. My uncle is not a stupid man.
“And we all know he’s no pleb,” Eric Stewart adds. I’m not altogether surprised Jase’s dad knows about Ares. He clearly knows a lot more than we were led to believe. More than I think Rhett Carter realizes. I’m itching to talk to him tomorrow now, dying to find out what he intends to say. Somehow, I feel like it’s going to be a turning point.
Jase stiffens in his seat beside me, and I thread my fingers through his. My uncle notices, looking at our conjoined hands, his eyes fixating on the wedding bands on our fingers.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Stewart.” Carter pins him with a look, and I wonder what agreement was made at our wedding yesterday when they were huddled in conversation.
If Jase’s dad partners with Carter, we’re all fucked.
But my gut tells me that isn’t the case.
Eric Stewart is playing Rhett Carter.
I’d stake my life on it.
“What happened at the crypt with my daughter?” James asks, staring me straight in the face.
I glance at Carter, and he nods. Clearing my throat, I tell my uncle the concocted version of what went down that day, spouting the same bullshit as Carter.
James nods, and his eyes look sad, but that’s the only emotion playing out on his face.
“You know this leaves us no choice,” Stewart says.
“I’m aware.” James wets his lips and sits up straighter in his chair as two guards move up behind him. “Pamela had nothing to do with any of this,” he volunteers. “It’s as Carter explained it. I have always hated him, and he wasn’t good enough for my sister. Doug and I came up with a plan. Pamela was innocent and naïve. I’d sheltered her, and it didn’t take much for Doug to seduce her.”
We all know this is a lie, but we remain expressionless, letting him spin his web of lies. I can only assume he’s doing this to protect my mother. If he told the truth—that Rhett raped and tortured Mom—it would implicate her in the subterfuge. He has no choice but to confirm Carter’s version is the true one.
“I doctored the medical reports. Pamela had no clue until Ashley’s initiation, and I had to confess.”
“That’s why you fought so hard against it,” Salinger says. He’s been casting sly looks at Ares when he thinks no one is looking. He isn’t fooling anyone.
James bobs his head. “I didn’t want it to come out. I knew Pamela would never be able to forgive me.”
“It’s a moot point now.” Stewart clasps his hands on the table in front of him.
“I know I have no authority to ask for anything, but I would like to make a request.” James’s eyes harden as he looks at Carter. Carter nods, urging him to make his request with a flourish of his hand. “Let Pamela take over as CEO of Manford Media. It needs a Manford at the helm. She has the business acumen, skills, and experience to lead it competently.”
Carter’s lips briefly kick up at the corners.
James nudges his head in my and Jase’s direction. “I see they are married, and I know your intent is for Jase to be anointed the Sloth Luminary. He has always been my choice, but he’s too young to take over the media corp. It is as much my life’s work as my Luminary responsibility. We employ hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. People who rely on us. My replacement needs to be someone capable of running the business and leading it into the future. There is no better choice than my sister.”
“We will discuss it and take your suggestion under consideration,” Carter says, before snapping his fingers at the guards. “Take him to the basement and confine him.”
“Give me your word my sister won’t be harmed,” James says, not protesting when the guards pull his arms behind his back and cuff him. “She is innocent in all of this. Everything I did was for her, but she never knew.”
“Pamela won’t be harmed,” Stewart says, lifting a glass of water to his lips.
James looks over at me, his eyes boring into mine, as he’s led out of the room. He doesn’t fight. He just accepts his fate.
Walter stands. “If that’s all, I need to be on my way.”
Ha! I’m sure you do!
