Chapter 27 Secrets whispered too loud
THIRD PERSON’S POV.
“Where have you been, Trish?” Serena said softly, her voice barely above a whisper,
“Where did you go? I almost gave up on you coming.”
“I…”
"That was some speech."
Damian’s voice cut between them, stopping Trisha mid sentence.
He studied Serena the same way he did that night at the bar, with open suspicion, he knew that speech had been more than just a eulogy.
"Did you like it?" Serena asked with a straight face.
“It was powerful,” he replied. “Almost felt like a warning. To someone.”
“Then let’s hope whoever it was meant for has the common sense never to cross me.”
A corner of his mouth lifted as he raised his glass. “Cheers to that.”
His gaze moved to Trisha. “You came quite late to the party.” It wasn’t a question.
“I had a few things I needed to take care of,” Trisha said lightly. “Were you missing me, Damian?”
“Not really,” he replied. “I just assumed you’d be glued by your friend’s side during… all this.” His voice had something behind it.
“I’m always by her side,” Trisha said, her smile wide and unconvincing.
Before Damian could respond, someone approached and drew him away into conversation.
As soon as he was gone, Serena and Trisha stepped closer to each other instinctively.
“Trish,” Serena murmured, “where were you? And what plan did you come up with this morning?”
Trisha’s expression turned dark,all playfulness gone.
“We can’t talk about it out here,” she said quietly, already tugging Serena toward the stairs. “Come upstairs. This is for your ears only.”
On the other side of the room Clara, Horace and Jonathan found themselves in a huddle, dissecting Serena’s speech into bits.
Horace was already on his fifth glass of whiskey. “She was baiting us,”
He said, resisting the urge to pace back and forth, he couldn’t let anyone know he was rattled, “that little speech she just gave? It was a power move.”
He laughed,dark and hollow, took another sip of his drink and said, “Charles really taught her well.”
Jonathan spoke next, “well she can make all the power moves she wants,it won’t change the fact that we are already a step ahead.”
His voice was calm and cocky like he could already see the future and for some reason that infuriated Horace.
“Only a fool celebrates premature victory.” Horace said.
Jonathan adjusted his tie, as if to dissolve the impact of Horace’s insult.
“But father, Jonathan is right. Serena played her cards too early and now that we know her confidence comes from knowing the contents of grandpa’s will, we can beat her at her own game before she even knows what’s happening.” Clara replied.
“Clara,” Horace's voice was colder than the drink in his hand, “there’s a reason Charles transferred his shares into Serena’s name and not yours.
That’s because you lack foresight, sometimes I think you can’t see further than the strands of those false lashes you have on.”
Clara shifted, embarrassment burning hot on her cheeks.
“Dad..”
“Shut up,” Horace silenced her before she could even get the words out.
“Any one with a functioning brain will know Serena’s speech was directed at us. I suspect she knows more than we think, this goes deeper than just the will.”
“Dad, that’s what I’m saying, I know Serena. She can act tough, but she doesn’t have a conniving bone in her body.”
“Failure starts the moment you begin to undermine your enemy.”
“With all due respect sir, I agree with Clara. Our plan is foolproof. If we start messing with it in hopes that Serena has some tricks up her sleeve we might just ruin our already perfect plan.” Jonathan looked at Horace to be sure he had his attention, when he saw Horace listening intently, he continued.
“I’ve studied Serena thoroughly. There’s nothing complex about her. She has nothing underneath the surface. She’s acting this way because she’s expecting to be CEO soon, when we take that dream away from her she’s going to be crushed and she will shrink back into her shell.”
Horace nodded, “Let’s hope you are right.”
Horace turns to leave but on second thought he stops.Turning, “That reminds me Jonathan, why were you in my house this morning?”
Both Jonathan and Clara freeze. A bead of sweat forming on their foreheads.
Horace raises an eyebrow, he moves closer. “Don’t tell me you two were frolicking in the same house you share with Serena.”
No response.
“Did she see you?” His question was directed at Jonathan.
“Uhm…”
“It’s a simple question, boy. Did. Serena. See. You?”
Clara instinctively moved backwards in fear. She knew the answer to that question and she knew Horace wouldn’t like it. Her heart sank for Jonathan, her father disliked him enough as it was and this would only deepen it.
When Jonathan snuck into Clara’s room last night, it had been to celebrate their upcoming wedding. Clara had asked him not to but he insisted, claiming he would be out before Serena or Horace notice his presence, just like old times. But he was wrong,
“Yes she saw me,” Jonathan finally let out, he watched as rage flooded Horace’s eyes so he quickly added, “but I told her I had just arrived. That I was there to see her and she believed me. In fact she said she was happy to see me.”
“I don’t care what she says, how dare you take such a foolish risk? How could you be so stupid?”
Horace’s voice rose, loud enough to make Clara squirm. She knew her fathers temper, if this were years ago, his hand would already have struck her. For every disappointment, she had suffered a beating.
“Why do you keep disappointing me, Clara?” The sadness in his voice made her stomach churn. She had spent her whole life trying not to disappoint him.
Jonathan saw her composure falter and decided he had to defend his soon to be wife. “What does it even matter if she saw us? Clara and I will be married tomorrow anyway, and Serena and her inheritance will be a story of the past.”
Clara’s hand flew to his mouth but she was too late.
Horace froze, too stunned to speak.
A nearby server abandoned the bucket of ice they were holding and quietly slipped out of the room.
The party attendees went on like nothing happened, to them nothing had.
But Jonathan had just revealed the details of their strategic plan to a room full of people.
Horace scanned the room quickly.The guests carried on, unaware. No one had heard, their plan was still intact.
Or so he thought.