Chapter 6 - The Uninvited Guest
The sun was fully up by the time my cab pulled back up the circular gravel driveway of 1420 Crestview Lane. The morning air was crisp, but inside my chest burned a quiet, white-hot fire.
The party from the night before hadn't ended—it had merely morphed into an opulent hangover brunch. Valets were still parking sports cars along the manicured lawn. A jazz trio played lazily near the infinity pool, and servants in crisp white uniforms glided through the marble archways carrying silver trays of mimosas, smoked salmon, and eggs Benedict.
I was still wearing my dusty Saudi work jacket, scuffed work boots, and faded jeans. Behind me walked Marcus Hale, carrying a heavy leather briefcase, and behind Marcus walked two uniformed deputies from the Cook County Sheriff’s Department, accompanied by a detective in a sharp grey suit named Detective Harris.
We walked right through the grand front doors.
The grand entryway was bathed in morning sunlight pouring through the crystal chandeliers. Evelyn sat at the head of a massive glass dining table, surrounded by twenty of her high-society friends, holding court like a queen. Victoria sat beside her, wearing a designer white linen dress, laughing loudly as she showed off a new diamond watch to a local city councilman.
My boots clicked loudly against the polished Italian marble floor.
A valet stepped into my path. "Excuse me, sir, this is a private—"
I didn't even look at him. I shoved him aside with one arm, stepping straight into the center of the dining room.
The music slowed. The laughter faltered. A heavy, awkward silence rippled across the room as fifty pairs of wealthy eyes landed on my dusty, travel-stained frame.
Evelyn turned around, her smile frozen in place. Her champagne glass slipped from her fingers, shattering against the marble floor, splashing sparkling wine across her emerald gown. Victoria’s face drained of every ounce of color, turning as white as her dress.
"Daniel?" Evelyn whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the air conditioning.
May you like
I stood there, my hands jammed into the pockets of my work jacket, staring at my mother.
"Hello, Mom," I said smoothly. "You look comfortable in my house."
