“She’s stable now,” the doctor said, his voice gentler. “But I’m afraid we don’t have a lot of time.”
I took her hand again, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest.
“I’ll leave you alone now.” He quietly stepped out of the ward.
My lips trembled as I tried so hard to fight back the tears that welled in my eyes. “I’m so sorry, Mom,” I whispered. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me.”
Overwhelmed with guilt, I blamed myself for not being there for her. If I hadn’t ignored my intuition and just called her the first time the thought crossed my mind, maybe….
Maybe what?a voice whispered in my head, stern and harsh.What would you have done? You couldn’t have prevented this from happening. So stop wallowing in guilt and start thinking of ways to raise that money.The voice paused, then continued:Crying will solve nothing. Now put on your thinking cap.
After a moment of careful thought, I concluded that only one person could help at this point. My heart skipped a beat because this was someone I barely knew, and my mother wanted nothing to do with him.
And no, it wasn’tmyfather.
It washerfather—Richard Beaumont—the man she swore never to see again.
Apparently, they’d had a falling out long before I was born because my mother chose to follow her own path. Not the one her billionaire father chose for her.
Yes, billionaire. The man was fuckin’ rich in every important currency in the world. Mom was a proud woman and would rather die than go to him for help. I was proud too. But there was no way I was going to sit back and let a fight that didn’t concern me stop me from trying.
He was my only hope right now, and I was running out of time. If my plan somehow worked, Mom would be furious when she found out. But I’d rather she were alive and furious than calm and dead.
I wiped the tears from my eyes and let out a deep sigh. “I’m sorry. But I have to do this.” I rose from my chair and kissed her forehead with quivering lips.
From the hospital, I drove straight to the Beaumont mansion at the outskirts of town. The drive took a while, and the whole time I was thinking about how to introduce myself. I had no idea what to say to the man or if he’d even grant me an audience.
Would he recognize me? We’d never met before. I’d only seen his face in the photo album.
When I arrived at the estate, the wrought-iron gates parted, revealing a vast expanse of land. I drove through the tall trees that lined the serpentine driveway. It was like stepping into a different world: darker and more mysterious.
The magnificent building grew more and more enormous the closer I drew to it. I pulled over by the fountain, my heart racing in my chest as I stared out my window.
“You got this,” I whispered to myself, drawing a deep, long breath.
The sun was setting across the horizon when I stepped out of the vehicle. The statues of two eerie-looking gargoyles mounted at the building’s entrance gave me the creeps.
I flinched when a crow swooped over my head, cawing, then perched on one of the gargoyles and ruffled its wings. The bird looked at me and cawed again.
I masked my fear with a frown, hating the fact that everything in this place was dark and eerie. This was supposed to be my estranged grandfather’s house. Not Dracula’s castle.
My shoes scuffed against the pavement as I made my way to the huge wooden front door. I climbed up the long steps at the entrance. And there, I took a minute to stare at the door handle, shaped like the head of a growling lion. Its mane curled around the brass knob, the eyes set with polished amber gems.
“Yeah, that’s not spooky at all,” I murmured, then grabbed the handle and knocked.
I waited for a few seconds before the door creaked open, revealing an elderly man in a black tux. His dark hair was neatly combed, his cologne was expensive, and even his tux was impeccably tailored.
However, he wasn’t my grandfather. He wasn’t the man in the pictures.
“Hi,” I said, my voice calm and collected.
“Can I help you?” he asked, his tone flat.
“Yes. I’m here to see Mr. Beaumont.”
“Do you have an appointment with him?”
“Um…actually….”
