The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 246

She turned and walked out.

Lavinia remained seated, not moving an inch. Only when Zenia's silhouette completely vanished did she reach under the table and retrieve a digital recording pen.

She pressed the playback button.

Zenia's venomous threats echoed clearly from the tiny speaker.

Lavinia slipped the pen into her purse. She sat alone for a while, slowly sipping her tea as she gazed out at the city's glittering skyline.

After a long moment, she picked up her phone and made a heavy-hearted call to Maeve.

The line connected.

Before Maeve could even say a word, Lavinia spoke softly. "Maeve. The answer Judith has been waiting for... it's here."

There was a long silence on the other end, followed by a deeply sorrowful sigh.

"I understand. I'll inform her at once."

***

Garnett's phone buzzed with another call from his father.

Lately, every time the old man called, Garnett felt a surge of irritation. His father had no idea how to build an empire; his only skill was aggressively slicing up the pie, or worse, stealing someone else's slice.

He had done it to the Sloan family years ago, and now he was doing it to his own mother.

Garnett took a steadying breath, forced down his annoyance, and answered the call.

"Yes, Dad. What is it?"

Nestor's raspy, gloating voice crackled through the speaker. "Lavinia just signed the supplementary property agreement. Even if your grandmother gave her three hundred million, ninety percent of it stays with the Harpers. She isn't taking a dime of our money."

"She signed it? Why? She flat-out refused last time." Garnett frowned. Something felt horribly wrong.

Nestor let out a dark chuckle. "You might be better at running a business, Garnett, but when it comes to breaking people, you've got a lot to learn."

The old man paused, his tone turning vicious. "We got our hands on the proof of her dirty little affair with that Lucian Roche. Your mother paid her a visit and gave her a choice: sign the papers, or we leak the scandal to the press and she loses everything. She was smart enough to fold."

He sighed heavily. "Dad, if Lavinia is truly working with Lucian Roche to embezzle Grandma's assets, that piece of paper you made her sign won't do a damn thing."

"Why not?"

"Because Lucian Roche is a financial mastermind. He could easily set up a family trust alongside a charitable foundation. On paper, Lavinia takes nothing, but under the table, she could funnel the money out as a 'beneficiary'—or worse, wire it directly into untouchable offshore accounts."

Dead silence hung on the line.

"Damn it!" Nestor suddenly shouted. "Get over to the June House right now! They're actually finalizing the trust documents as we speak!"

Garnett froze.

Was she really going through with it?

If so, she had been hiding her true nature perfectly all this time.

"Fine. I'm on my way," Garnett said.

Whatever the truth was, he had to stop her from signing those papers until he fully understood what was happening.