Chapter 2 - The Emergency Room
The VIP wing of St. Jude’s Hospital was quiet.
It smelled of premium antiseptic and expensive coffee.
Evelyn sat on the edge of the hospital bed.
She refused to wear the hospital gown.
Her designer evening dress was wrinkled, but her posture was as rigid as ever.
A young doctor was carefully applying a sterile bandage to a scrape on her shoulder.
"The X-rays show no fractures, Mrs. Harrow," the doctor said nervously.
"Of course there are no fractures," Evelyn snapped.
"I am bruised, not broken."
"You should still take it easy for a few days."
"I will dictate my own schedule, Doctor."
The young man nodded hastily and backed out of the room.
Julian stood by the window, staring out at the city skyline.
His wife, Serena, was sitting in a leather armchair in the corner.
Serena was mindlessly scrolling through her phone, though her eyes weren't focusing on the screen.
"Well?" Evelyn demanded.
Julian turned around slowly.
"The police are waiting outside, Mother."
"Send them in."
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
Evelyn’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
"She assaulted me in front of fifty people."
"You grabbed Lily first."
"I was correcting an unruly child!"
"You left bruises on her wrist, Mother."
"She is a Harrow."
"She is Thomas's daughter," Julian corrected softly.
The mention of the dead brother made the room temperature drop.
Evelyn’s face hardened.
"Thomas was weak."
"He was my brother."
"And he married a gold-digging tramp who just humiliated our family."
Julian rubbed his temples.
"Claire is not a gold digger."
"She took half his estate!"
"She took what was legally hers."
"Nothing belongs to her!" Evelyn shouted, wincing as her shoulder throbbed.
Serena looked up from her phone.
"Julian is right, Evelyn," Serena said quietly.
"Excuse me?" Evelyn glared at her daughter-in-law.
"If you press charges, this goes to trial."
"I welcome a trial."
"Do you welcome discovery?" Serena asked.
The word hung in the air like a poisonous cloud.
Julian shot his wife a warning look.
"Serena, please."
"No, Julian, let's be realistic," Serena insisted, standing up.
She smoothed down her silk skirt.
"If Claire is dragged into court, she will talk."
"Let her talk," Evelyn sneered. "Who will believe her?"
"Did you hear what she said tonight?" Serena asked.
"It was the ravings of a hysterical woman."
"She said she would tell everyone the truth."
Evelyn froze.
Her cold eyes darted between Julian and Serena.
"What truth?" Evelyn asked smoothly.
"The truth about Thomas's accident," Julian said, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Evelyn let out a harsh, barking laugh.
"There is no truth other than he lost control of his car."
"Mother, if Claire has proof..."
"She has nothing!"
"Are you absolutely certain?" Julian pressed.
Evelyn hesitated for a fraction of a second.
It was enough for Julian to see the doubt.
"Call off the police," Julian commanded.
"You do not give me orders, Julian."
"If you press charges, she will retaliate with everything she has."
Evelyn looked away, her jaw clenched tight.
"We need to handle this quietly," Julian continued.
"I want that child," Evelyn said coldly.
"Mother, leave Lily out of this."
"Lily holds thirty percent of the voting shares."
"She is ten years old!"
"And when she turns eighteen, her mother will control those shares."
Evelyn slowly slid off the hospital bed.
She ignored the pain shooting up her side.
"I want Claire destroyed," Evelyn whispered.
"Mother..."
"Freeze her accounts."
"I can't just do that."
"You are the CEO of Harrow Enterprises. Make it happen."
"It's illegal."
"Call Judge Harrison," Evelyn ordered.
"Tell him we have reason to believe Claire is a flight risk."
"A flight risk from what?"
"From an impending child endangerment investigation."
Julian stared at his mother in absolute horror.
"You are going to call Child Protective Services?"
"I am going to do whatever it takes to protect my grandson's legacy."
"Lily is a girl, Mother."
May you like
"She is a pawn," Evelyn corrected.
"And I am taking her off the board."
