Chapter 51: That Will Be All

"BACK TO A YEAR LATER — JOSEPH’S POV.

THE DAY AFTER JOSEPH ASKED MAGGIE IF SHE HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE ATTACK ON SUSAN"

Joseph sat at the edge of the massive king-sized bed, the mattress barely dipping under his weight. The room around him glowed with restrained luxury — dark mahogany walls, gold-trimmed moldings, floor-to-ceiling curtains slightly parted to let in the dying amber light of 5PM. His tablet rested in both hands, his thumb scrolling endlessly, though his eyes weren’t really seeing anything.

His jaw tightened.

He scrolled again.

Then stopped.

His fingers stilled as a voice echoed sharply in his head, cutting through the silence like broken glass.

“You’re Mom hired the mercenaries that broke my legs.”

Susan’s voice. Raw. Bitter. Shaking with pain and fury.

Joseph sucked in a breath through his nose and whispered, barely louder than the hum of the air conditioner, “It can’t be.”

He dropped the tablet beside him on the bed. It landed with a dull thud against the expensive sheets.

“I know they have beef,” he muttered, rubbing his forehead with his palm, “but Maggie wouldn’t go that far. She can’t be that stupid.”

He pushed himself to his feet, the polished marble floor cold beneath his bare soles. He began pacing — slow at first, then faster — his hands flexing at his sides.

“What if she did?” he whispered, stopping near the dresser, his reflection staring back at him from the mirror. His eyes looked darker, troubled. “What if she actually did? You don’t really know.”

He shook his head sharply, as if arguing with someone standing right in front of him.

“She wouldn’t,” he said, louder now, his voice bouncing off the walls. “She said it herself yesterday when I confronted her.”

He resumed pacing, footsteps measured, restless.

“She LIED!”

The words slammed into his mind, loud and relentless.

“No,” he snapped aloud, halting in the center of the room. His chest rose and fell as he stared down at the floor. “She didn’t.”

“But she did,” the thought pressed harder, unforgiving. “She’s always been like this. And you’ve always turned a blind eye.”

Joseph clenched his fists, his knuckles whitening. His jaw locked, teeth grinding together.

“Uggghhh!” he groaned, dragging a hand down his face as frustration finally cracked through him. He turned, leaned both hands on the footboard of the bed, his shoulders tense.

“She might’ve lied to my face,” he admitted quietly, the words tasting bitter. “Every time I try to push it away, it comes back. Over and over.”

He straightened and resumed walking, this time slower, heavier, like every step carried weight.

“So what do I do?” he asked the empty room. “What action do I take?”

He stopped near the window, staring out at the perfectly manicured estate grounds below — fountains still flowing, guards still stationed, everything orderly. Controlled. Unlike his thoughts.

“I don’t want to believe Susan,” he said softly. “I don’t want to believe Maggie had anything to do with this.”

He turned away from the window.

“But my mind won’t let me rest.”

He exhaled slowly.

“It’s because she’s right,” he murmured, almost defeated. “And you know it.”

He stopped pacing again, standing still as the idea surfaced fully formed.

“All the answers are right there,” he said under his breath. “Hidden cameras. One week.”

He nodded faintly, convincing himself aloud.

“Set them in her room. Watch her slip. If she doesn’t…” He paused. “…then I’ll know. I’ll know I did my part. And she had nothing had nothing to do with it.”

A long sigh left his chest as his shoulders finally dropped.

“Fine,” he said quietly. “Enough fighting myself.”

He walked back to the bed and sat down heavily on the edge. He picked up the tablet, his fingers steady now. A few quick taps. A name.

The call connected almost instantly.

“Sir,” Eric’s voice came through, crisp and respectful.

“Get in here now,” Joseph said, his tone firm, stripped of hesitation. “I need you.”

“Yes, sir,” Eric replied without pause.

The line went dead.

Joseph leaned back slightly, staring ahead, his jaw set. Minutes passed, thick and silent.

Then the door opened.

Eric stepped inside, dressed in his usual black tuxedo, posture straight, expression neutral. He walked toward Joseph and stopped a few feet away, bowing respectfully.

“You called for me, sir.”

“Yes,” Joseph said, lifting his gaze to meet Eric’s. His eyes were sharp now, resolved. “I want you to set hidden cameras inside Maggie’s room.”

Eric didn’t blink.

“And make sure she doesn’t know,” Joseph added, his voice low and deliberate.

Eric nodded once. “Yes, sir. I’ll set them in place.”

Joseph held his gaze for a moment, then gave a slight nod. “That will be all.”

“Okay, sir,” Eric responded, bowing again.

Eric then turned and walked out, the door closing softly behind him.