Chapter 3

I couldn't use any of the Palmer family's power.

Richard had already turned this place into his own personal spiderweb.

I was on my own now.

I needed a lot of money.

Money wasn't everything.

But without it, I'd be totally screwed.

I needed money to grease some palms, dig up secrets, and make sure Edward and I had a way out if things went south.

I opened up the deepest secret compartment in my vanity.

Inside were all the private funds I'd squirreled away over the past 22 years—the wedding gifts I got, businesses, and landholdings.

My mother and brother kept topping it up for me, bit by bit, through the years.

All of it was officially recorded as my personal assets. Richard couldn't touch any of it. But it still wasn't enough.

I needed hard cash and liquid assets that I could use right away.

I changed into plain, unremarkable clothes, pulled on a veil hat, and slipped out the back door with only Mila by my side. We climbed into a carriage that was already waiting for us.

The carriage didn't bear the Palmers' crest.

We rode all the way to the busiest street in the city.

The carriage pulled up at the back door of a place called Quinn Banking House.

This was one of the properties my mother left me as part of my wedding gift.

The owner, Mark Quinn, had been my mother's personal aide and was now my most trusted confidant.

I slipped through a secret passage and went straight into Mark's study in the back courtyard.

Mark was stunned when he saw me.

"My lady? What brings you here?" he asked.

"Let's make this quick," I said, my voice calm.

"Mark, I need you to sell off every shop and estate under my name within three days."

"I need it all turned into cash or gold notes."

Mark's expression changed instantly, shock flashing across his face.

"My lady! I-Is something wrong?" he stammered. "But these are the very foundation of everything you've built."

"Don't ask why," I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.

"Do as I say. Remember, be quick and discreet. Sell for less if you have to, but everything must be gone in three days."

Mark shivered as he met my icy gaze through the veil of my hat.

He'd been by my mother's side for half his life and watched me grow up.

He knew I wasn't the type to act on impulse.

He knew that if I was doing something like this, it meant I was facing something huge.

He didn't ask any more questions and just gave a firm nod.

"Rest assured, my lady," he said, his voice steady. "Even if it costs me my life, I'll make sure it gets done."

"Good." I nodded.

I pulled a stack of land deeds and property titles from my sleeve.

"Take care of these first," I instructed.

"The rest are at the house outside the city. I'll have someone bring them to you," I added.

"And one more thing. Dig up everything you can on someone for me."

"Charlotte. I want to know when she got back to the city, where she's living now, and who she's been hanging around with, especially any ties she has to the Palmers."

Mark's gaze turned steely.

"You mean the one from the Monroe family?" Mark asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"Understood, my lady," Mark said, nodding with resolve.

As I stepped out of Quinn Banking House, my heart felt a bit steadier.

I'd taken the first step.

With money in hand, I finally had the confidence to face whatever came next.

*****

Back at the Palmer estate, everything was business as usual. It was as if yesterday's chaos had just been a bad dream.

But I knew it wasn't a dream.

This was a vortex about to swallow me and my son whole.

That evening, Edward and Emily came to visit me.

I looked at my oblivious son, blissfully happy and completely in the dark.

A sharp pain stabbed through my heart.

Emily still looked as gentle and demure as ever.

I had them sit down, took Emily's hand in mine, and made small talk with her.

My hand rested lightly on her wrist.

[Grace looks pretty lively today. Guess she's still totally clueless.]

[Well, of course. Richard's plan is rock solid. How could some housebound lady like her ever figure it out?]

[Aunt Charlotte says Grace is obsessed with her reputation. Once the evidence is out, she'll be so humiliated that she'll probably just end it herself. It saves us the trouble.]

[Can't wait. Just four more days and Aunt Charlotte gets to be the new Duchess.]

[And soon, I'll be the rightful hostess of this house.]

Her cold inner thoughts flowed through my mind, echoing with every beat.

But on my face, I kept up that gentle, loving smile.

I even gave her hand a warm, affectionate pat.

I said, "Emily, from now on, I'll be counting on you to look after Edward. If Edward ever steps out of line, just tell me. I'll set him straight for you."

Emily looked startled, clearly not expecting such kindness.

"Edward's always been wonderful to me," she replied.

I smiled and waved her back to her seat.

But inside, my heart was frozen solid.

The rightful hostess, huh?

So to them, even Edward's title was nothing but stolen goods.

Alright then. Just wait and see who got the last laugh.

Once Edward and Emily had left, I sat down and quickly wrote a letter.

I called over the most inconspicuous servant boy I could find.

"Take this letter to Westside Manor," I told him. "Give it directly to Luna Chambers. Tell her I want her to come over."

The young man nodded, accepted the order, and quickly left.

Luna was the trusted maid my mother sent with me when I got married.

She was also my sharpest weapon.

She had handled plenty of things for me that couldn't be done in the open.

Once the estate became peaceful, I sent her away to enjoy a quiet life.

Now, it was time to call her back.

I'd got the cash now. Time to bring out my sharpest weapon.

Richard, Charlotte, your days were numbered.