The Love Of Money - Episode 187
30-07-25 (11:08)
I tried calling my parents but got my younger brother
instead. I was surprised to find out that Richie had
come with them. Not only that, but he'd brought his
girlfriend with him, which I found terribly unfair. My
mom would have never let me do something like that.
Parents really are softer on the younger siblings. Dad
was out getting food with one of my security, and
mom was taking a bath. I told him about the party
tomorrow and that I wanted them there.
Then I returned Henry's call, he found Ashlee.
"She's back in New York and is currently staying on
campus with a friend."
"Why would she do that?" I asked.
'My guess would be to avoid her stepmother, Henry
said, "but the only way to be sure would be to ask her."
"I've tried texting and calling since last night, but she
hasn't responded, I admitted.
"Would you like to explore alter-native options?"
"What do you suggest?" I asked, trying to understand
what he meant by that.
"You could wait for her to come to you," Psalter- mused,
"or I could bring her to you at a specified location."
I recalled Chloe offering a similar solution and imagined
Ashlee strapped to a chair and waterboarded like I
was. Jesus, what was with the spooks and their
eagerness for blood? Still, I entertained the idea. Ashlee
was one of only a handful of people who knew where'
I'd been when the mercenaries appeared on that
rooftop. Ashlee disappeared after my kidnapping, and
Ashlee was the one showing up in photos with
Cartwright. The evidence wasn't exactly stacked in her
favor.
But did that mean she deserved the treatment Chloe
and Psalter- were suggesting?
"No," I finally responded. "I need to see her, but I don't
want you bringing her somewhere' with a bag over her
head. I'll keep texting and calling. Just see what you
can do to put pressure on her."
'I believe I can accommodate that request," he said.
'Any idea who tried to kidnap me or what was on that
drive they were asking for?"
"Unfortunately, no. The mercenaries were hired by an
organization called Hatchfield, but as you can probably
guess, it's a -shell corporation. The paper trail gets
difficult to follow, and that's my only real lead on this
flash drive the woman asked about. I recommend
getting people you trust to go over your grandfather's
estate with a toothcomb and look for anything related.
"What are you suggesting?"
"That Colin Gerrard gave you an obscene inheritance
tied to massive corporations, countless properties, and
socio-political schemes. You've inherited things you
don't even comprehend. Understanding that inheritance
is the best way to know more about that flash drive.
Not only that, but it is also the best means to unmask
your enemies."
Henry was right. I needed to start looking more into
what my grandfather gave me and not just on fun
ways to spend it. "Alright. I'll see what we can find
out."
"And I'll see what I can do about flushing out Miss
VanCamp.
By the time I was done and left my study, it was a
little after eight in the evening. Helen had asked if was
busy tonight, so I texted to see if she was back in my
apartment after doing whatever she needed with
Chandler. She texted back that she was and gave me
directions to a specific room on the west wing of my
apartment. It was an area had spent a little time in
since it was on the opposite side of my bedroom and
the kitchen.
However, before going there, I had one more thing to
do. I told Helen I would be there in about thirty minutes
and set off toward Natashya's room. It was bothering
me that we hadn't spoken yet.
I approached her room, eyeing the bottom of the door
for any sign of light, but was disappointed. I stalled in
front of the door, thinking I didn't want to wake her,
but if there was any chance I could talk to her, I didn't
want to miss it. I felt responsible for what she'd gone
through and wanted to make sure we were okay. My
fingers closed gently around the knob to her bedroom,
and I cracked it open just enough to let light spill into
the dark bedroom. A dim strip of Illumination fell over
the bed, and saw blankets stir. I opened my mouth to
whisper her name but stopped short when I heard,
"Shhh."
I considered protesting but also wanted to be sensitive
to
Natashya and whatever she was dealing with, so shut
the door
without any argument. Feeling defeated, I turned and
quietly
walked away when the door opened, and Emily slipped
into the hallway. She wore red flannel pajama bottoms,
a white spaghetti tank top with a simple bra
underneath, and her hair hung down her back in a
glossy sheet of chocolate-colored strands. I smiled,
realizing I hadn't seen my sister since I fell asleep in
Shea's lap in the back of that SUV, God, she was a
sight for sore eyes right about now. She returned my
smile but gestured for us to move down the hall. Don't forget to leave a Comment 
