Chapter 6 - THE KING OF A BORROWED CASTLE
Back at the River Road estate, Derek Halston poured himself a three-finger measure of twenty-year-old scotch and sank into the leather Chesterfield sofa in the library.
"She’s just trying to punish me," Derek scoffed, swirling the amber liquid. "She went to her cousin’s place or some boutique hotel downtown. She’ll burn through a few hundred dollars, realize she can't handle a newborn alone with that surgical cut, and she’ll be back on her knees by tomorrow evening."
Evelyn was sitting across from him, sipping herbal tea from fine bone china. "Of course she will, darling. Audrey has no backbone. She never has. Her mother was the exact same way—timid, soft-spoken, terrified of confrontation. Arthur Vance might have been a brute in business, but he raised a granddaughter who doesn't know how to stand up for herself."
"I shouldn't have let Sienna come over," Derek muttered, though there was no real remorse in his voice, only irritation at being inconvenienced.
"Nonsense," Evelyn replied with an imperial wave of her hand. "Sienna’s father sits on the state banking commission. Building that relationship is crucial for your firm’s expansion. If Audrey were a proper partner, she would understand that men in your position require... latitude. She embarrassed *us* today by storming out like a common fishwife."
The library door clicked open, and Sienna walked in. She had showered, redone her makeup, and was now wearing a tailored designer dress she had retrieved from her overnight bag in the guest room.
"Derek," Sienna purred, leaning over the back of the sofa and running her manicured fingers through his hair. "I’m sorry if I caused trouble today. If I had known your wife was coming home..."
"Don't worry about it," Derek smiled, reaching up to take her hand. "Audrey lives in a fantasy world. She forgets who pays for this estate. She forgets who maintains this life."
"It really is an incredible house," Sienna whispered, gazing around at the twelve-foot coffered ceilings, the imported French limestone fireplace, and the sweeping views of the James River beyond the terrace. "You said you bought it right after your firm launched?"
"Built it from the ground up," Derek lied effortlessly, puffing out his chest. "Put five million into the foundation and finishes alone. Audrey just picked out some curtains."
"You’re extraordinary, Derek," Sienna murmured, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Most men my age don't have a fraction of what you’ve built."
Evelyn beamed at them, looking thoroughly satisfied. "Now this is the kind of woman who belongs in this home. Elegance. Ambition. Not some moping heiress who looks down her nose at us while Derek does all the heavy lifting."
Derek raised his glass in a toast. "To new beginnings. Tomorrow, when Audrey crawls back, she’ll agree to my terms. No more complaining. No more questions about my schedule. Or she can find somewhere else to live."
The three of them laughed, clinking their crystal glasses together beneath the glow of the chandelier.
May you like
None of them noticed the silent black security sedan that had just parked across the street from the main gate, its surveillance cameras recording every lit window of the estate.
***
