One of the men grabbed a trash can that had been set out to block the
road.
That same mocking voice rang out again. “Don’t drag the trash can. The noise annoys me.”
The tone made it sound like Jeffry wasn’t even worth as much as a garbage can.
Salome had been waiting at the Vance estate for news from Jeffry for hours, but nothing ever came.
Tomorrow was her birthday. She and Heather had begged and pleaded For ages before the Vance family finally agreed to bring her back from he hospital.
She had her own motives, of course.
Before returning, Salome had even pulled the doctor aside to ask if it was ɔkay to be intimate with her husband.
The doctor told her it would be fine–as long as they were careful.
But night fell, then grew late, and still there was no sign of Beckett at the
Vance estate.
Even Jeffry, who’d promised to come talk to her about something, had disappeared without a trace.
Now Salome was starting to worry.
Could Jeffry have gone to cause trouble for Edith and gotten himself into
a mess?
She found a quiet corner and tried calling Jeffry’s phone.
It went straight to voicemail. That was even stranger. What young person these days lets their phone die?
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Feeling anxious, Salome called her mother, Adah.
“Mom, is Jeffry home? I’ve been calling him, but he’s not picking up.”
Adah sounded completely unconcerned. “Oh, your brother just came home for a bit with that gang of his. I heard he’s headed out to Nightingale’s tonight. You know your brother–he’s not getting any younger, but he keeps hanging out at those places to chase away loneliness. Salome, you should introduce him to some nice girls. He takes after me–good–looking, just like those leading men in the TV
dramas.”
Hearing that Jeffry was fine, Salome mumbled a few platitudes and hung
She didn’t want Adah to start nagging her again about finding a rich girl for Jeffry to date.
With the Vale family in its current state, what heiress in her right mind would be interested?
And let’s be honest–Jeffry had more than his fair share of bad habits.
Only Adah still saw him as such a catch.
But still, Jeffry was her brother.
Salome always thought the Vale family had good genes; Jeffry was no exception. Their only misfortune was that the family had fallen on such
hard times.
If only the Vance family were willing to lend a hand, maybe it wouldn’t be impossible for Jeffry to find a wealthy match.
But right now, the real obstacle in Salome’s way was Edith.
If only she could get rid of Edith, her place as Mrs. Vance would be
secure.
And if she could hold on to that title, helping Jeffry in the future would be
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a breeze.
The more she thought about it, the more intolerable Edith’s existence
became.
Early the next morning.
Beckett finally staggered home, dead drunk.
At breakfast, Salome complained to Heather, “Mom, Bennett’s been so cold to me lately. I’m worried there’s something going on…”
Heather’s patience was clearly wearing thin, but because of Salome’s pregnancy, she had to play along. “Bennett’s my son. Trust me–his character is solid. It’s just that the company’s put everything on his shoulders lately. He’s overwhelmed, that’s all.”
Then, as if to remind Salome of her place, Heather added, “As women, the most important thing is not to make trouble for our men. So don’t go creating drama in front of Bennett. He’s already stressed enough with the Hawksley Group deal falling through, understand?”
Heather fixed Salome with a stare, and Salome had no choice but to lower her head and sip her nourishing breakfast soup. “I understand, Mom.”
Heather arched an eyebrow, glancing sharply at the house staff. “What are you standing around for? Breakfast is ready–go call Bennett down to eat! I swear, you people do nothing but loaf around all day.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.