Chapter 13 - The Uninvited Guest
The heavy knock echoed through the cavernous, silent penthouse again, sharp and authoritative. Chloe froze, her hand hovering over the cardboard box of old photographs. Eleanor didn’t flinch; she simply sighed, a sound of profound resignation, and walked toward the private foyer with slow, steady steps.
Chloe followed closely behind, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. Eleanor unlocked the heavy oak door and pulled it open.
Standing in the private elevator landing was Dr. Gretchen Miller. She had changed out of her bloody surgical scrubs into a simple, dark gray wool coat, her steel-gray hair tied back in a neat, professional knot. She carried a single manila envelope in her gloved hand, her expression completely unreadable under the dim sconce lighting of the hallway.
Eleanor didn’t look surprised. She simply stepped aside, gesturing toward the interior of the ruined empire.
“Gretchen,” Eleanor said quietly. “I wondered when you’d come to collect the final piece.”
Gretchen stepped across the threshold, her dark eyes sweeping over the opulent marble floors and glittering crystal chandeliers with absolute contempt before fixing squarely on Chloe.
“I didn’t come to collect anything from you, Eleanor,” Gretchen said, her voice cutting through the quiet evening air like a blade. She held out the manila envelope toward Chloe. “This belongs to your daughter.”
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Chloe stared at the envelope, her hands trembling as she reached out to take it. The paper felt heavy, dense with legal documents. She pulled the flap open and slid out a stack of crisp, of
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