Chapter 24


    “Hey, can you drive a bit faster mate?” Bart asks the driver. “We’re in a bit of a hurry.”


    This is going toplicate everything. How the hell are we supposed to swindle Charles and


    investigate all his crap if Rick’s already on it? And I can’t risk exposing myself or the Heartgraves. Who


    knows how Rick would react to the change, too… Would he really recognize me? Minutes ago, I would


    have thought it was impossible, but I still can’t doubt what my ears heard. How the hell would he have


    recognized me…? I can’t wrap my head around it. I kept thinking about it for the whole trip. Our n


    was to get to Swithin’s office ahead of him, but now we’rete, and I find myself looking around, trying


    to spot a bike in the midst of the cars heading to London.


    Somehow, we manage not to cross paths with them, and by some miracle even arrive at Swithin’s


    office first. Perhaps he purposefully took a detour. Bart walks in, and guides me through Swithin’s


    office. There’s a little waiting salon first, with four chairs, a coffee table and some nts, and a little


    desk for a secretary that’s apparently startingter in the day. Then, we got to his actual office. It’s


    surprisingly spacious, withrge windows onto the street. I just have time to nce around; I find it a bit


    old-fashioned with wooden floors and old stylish furniture, contrasting with the high-tech equipment and


    big leather desk chair, but it suits Swithin. I can’t help but notice there’s a brand new portrait of me, way


    too big forfort, right in the middle of the wall on his right… It’s definitely one of the portraits I shot


    last night, but Cecily managed to make it look like it came from the official photoshoot of a Magazine,


    truly professional and all. I’m amazed by how quickly they moved to have it printed, framed and hung


    there overnight, but we don’t have time for questions. Bart opens a door on the side, which leads to a


    small room, half a resting space and half a storage room. Every wall but the one with windows is


    stacked with books or papers, and there’s a Chaise Lounge in the middle of it. Bart goes to lie on it


    right away, taking out his phone.


    “We made it,” he says. “They are two minutes away.”


    I nod, but the stress rises up again. Rick wouldn’t barge into Swithin’s office or something, right? I keep


    pacing around, grateful for the carpeted floor muffling the sounds of my heels.


    Soon enough, we hear them. I hear Swithin apologizing loudly for the detour or some mistake he’s


    made, his way of warning us. I stop my pacing, and stand with my feet nted in front of the door


    instead, stressed out like crazy. I catch myselfbing my hair back at least three times before I stop


    and force myself to cross my arms instead. They walk in, chatting casually. Charles sounds fucking


    light-hearted for someone who lost his “wife” not even a week ago… I hear the girl who was with him


    giggle too, but while I do hear five pairs of footsteps, the other two remain quiet.


    For a while, I listen to Swithin exchanging pleasantries with them, offering a coffee or tea, and inviting


    them to his office. I would probably be much more pissed about Charles sounding so calm and


    composed if I wasn’t also listening for a bike’s engine outside. And I do finally hear it. He parks about


    two or three streets away I’d guess, but once the engine’s cut, that’s it; I can hear an engine but not


    footsteps from so far… Frustrated, I have to focus on what’s going on next door when I hear Swithin


    say my new name.


    “…My niece, Hera. I really love this picture of her, I had it framed against her opinion. She’s truly a


    talented model, as her doting uncle I can’t help but be proud… Although, I wish she had made wiser


    decisions when ites to her agency, her talent is wasted on them. I understand you’re familiar with


    the Business, Mr. Williams?”


    “She does look amazing, definitely some talent there, and I know the business!” Charles exims.


    What a sucker. He only cared about the contracts, couldn’t see shit about any talent… He clearly hired


    some of the girls based on their looks and his personal preferences, or let the managers handle it all.


    “Right?” Sighs Swithin, ying his part perfectly. “Luckily, I’m busy representing her and trying to get


    this damn agency to let her go, they are already in quite a financial mess anyway… But I digress, my


    apologies. We should get to the matter of your fiancé’s property, Mr. Williams. I’m truly grateful you


    came so fast, in fact.”


    “I had to,” says Charles, suddenly sounding much less joyous. “Her family is grieving, her father Mr.


    Starr entrusted me to take care of matters as best as I could as he trusts mepletely.”


    How fucking arrogant is he to throw my father’s name around… Swithin goes on to provide some legal


    details about the t, and I don’t understand half of that jargon. Itsts for a while, and all I can tell is


    that Swithin is clearly working to entice Charles with the market value of that property, while smoothly


    questioning him about his legal rights to my belongings. From the bit I can understand, I am quite


    amazed about how he’s clearly setting the trap for Charles, not making him feel guilty at all for putting


    his hands on my inheritance. I can guess the decades of experience by how he lets him dominate their


    argument, carefully getting Charles to let out more about what exactly is going on with what should


    never have been his…


    “I’m still a bit surprised,” Swithin says. “I never knew Miss Starr had been married. She hadn’t gotten in


    touch with us in quite a while, so we figured she had been busy, regretfully so. When we heard the sad


    news, we genuinely expected her father, Mr. Starr would be the next-of-kin person for us to reach out


    to. Miss Starr had left instructions. I hope you were not upset by our mistake.”


    Gosh, making him feel superior by pretending he thinks he was the one in the wrong, while


    aknowledging Charles’ fucking lie as if it was a truth set in stone… I don’t know if I should be impressed


    or grossed out. Swithin’s spitting out lies and false truths like a venomous snake hunting a nasty rat.


    “Oh, please don’t,” Charles sighs. “Like I exined, my fi- I mean, my wife was truly worried about the


    media’s opinion. I tried many times to have her make our wedding public, assuring her that she had


    nothing to hide, but unfortunately, the pressure from the press was too much. I tried to respect her


    decision until the end, naturally. Thewyers back home are a bit fussy about it as well, it cannot be


    helped. I only want the best for what my wife left behind, though. To be honest with you, all those


    properties and money are really nothing to me, I just wish she was here with me. Sadly, this is my


    burden now, I just hope to do what’s best.”


    “That is so incredibly brave of you.”


    I roll my eyes. Oh, for fuck’s sake, Swithin…


    “I can only imagine June wanted this apartment she purchased for her own use, I have every intention


    to respect that, I won’t use it for myself. Do you think it would be possible to sell it? I have no ns to


    use it, and I am unfamiliar with the current rental conditions in London, but it might be tough for me to


    manage from afar…”


    “I understand, naturally. To be honest, my advice would be to rent the t for a little while, the market is


    set to hit a new height in just a few months. However, before we speak about that, Mr. Williams, I’m


    afraid we will have to sort out the session first. Due to the important sums involved in Miss Starr’s


    inheritance, we do have to make sure to go by the rules on everything. I hope you don’t mind.”


    “Of course not! I am unfamiliar with legal matters in the UK, so I would be happy to trust you with it. I


    don’t think I have ever heard of your firm before, Mr. Heartgraves, but from the bit my legal advisor


    found online, you’re quite reputable.”


    “Thank you for your praise. I take all of my clients very seriously, so just like you, I will make sure Miss


    Starr’s belongings are handed to you without a hint of issue.”


    I suddenly realize, Swithin’s been calling me “Miss Starr” from the beginning, and Charles hasn’t even


    tried to correct him about it. While I was never grateful for myst name, it does make me a bit happy


    to not be called “Madam Williams” or something. I’ll take the little victories I can, I guess.


    Bart steps up to me, visibly listening too. Just when I nce at him, I see him open his lips, and I get


    worried for a second, until a very faint whisperes out of his mouth.


    “Ask him more about the circumstances.”


    “I regret having to ask you this, Mr. Williams,” says Swithin on the other side of the door. “But may I ask


    how… the tragedy urred? The newspapers were a bit cryptic about the circumstances, and the firm


    would like to send something appropriate to Miss Starr’s family.”


    I remember, our hearing is much better than humans. I’ve been hearing Charles and Swithin chat as if


    they were right in front of me, but there’s arge door between us. Only Swithin possibly heard Bart’s


    whisper, no way one of the humans caught this…


    “She… June was extremely depressed. I happened to be away that night, I didn’t watch her… She


    committed the unthinkable, I was the one that…”


    My god, he couldn’t act even to save his life. I can’t help but roll my eyes, although I’m internally


    screaming at that bastard’s pathetic attempt at a pitiful act.


    “That’s terrible,” says Swithin. “Was her caretaker not around?”


    “Caretaker?” Charles repeats, confused.


    “She was diagnosed as heavily depressed, wasn’t she? I knew she wasn’t sent to any facility, but I


    assumed there was still some sort of trained staff to take care of Miss Starr, surely?”


    Well yed, Swithin. Let’s push his buttons and see if that asshole makes a mistake.


    “No, no,” he sighs theatrically. “June was quite bent on not allowing any strangers around, and it’s quite


    sad thinking back, but she really didn’t have many friends to count on.”


    “It sounds like you were the only one who could have truly taken care of her and prevented this


    tragedy, Mr. Williams.”


    I smile, showing off my fangs. Yes, Swithin, corner the bastard. I want to be sure he feels some guilt for


    what he did.


    “It’s… It’s still very hard for me to think about this.”


    I hear the womanfort him. Seriously? Where the hell is sheing from, anyway?


    Suddenly, we hear a phone ringing. For a second, I worry Bart or Imitted a mistake, but no, it’s


    coming from the other side of the room, and Swithin is the one to take it.


    “Sorry Sir, I have to take this. …Yes?” He says, loudly. “…Again? Hera, darling, I told you I would take


    care of it. I promise I’m on it.”


    Bart and I exchange a smile.


    “Yes, yes I know. I’m finalizing the papers, I can drag them to court within the next month. It’s not going


    to be a problem, darling, I know you’re attached to your work but I promise we’ll find a better agency,


    this one is going bust. …Can I call you back, darling? Yes. Yes, see youter. Bye.”


    He hangs up, and I wonder if another of our siblings fake-called him for this. He clears his throat.


    “My apologies, Mr. Williams. My niece has been very nervous about her whole modeling agency issue,


    her career is very important to her.”


    “Oh, I can’t me you for looking out for your family! Out of curiosity, may I ask the name of the


    agency?”


    “London Light Entertainment. They will be off the records soon though, I can guarantee you that. With


    what I’m preparing against them, they will have to close down business with scraps left!”


    “I see…”


    Yeah, Charles is definitely hooked. I know his tone, he definitely thinks he got a piece of free


    information.


    “How long are you nning to stay, Mr. Williams?” Asks Swithin. “I will try to get all of this in order as


    soon as I can, but I hope you understand it might take a while, you know how it is between the US and


    here…”


    “I’m not sure, I’ve done my best to clear my schedule for the next week, and most of my work can be


    done remotely or delegated anyway, that’s how good my team is!”


    …That’s howzy you are, you bastard.


    “Then, shall we proceed with a quick visit to the said t?” Asks Swithin. “As I mentioned earlier, I have


    the keys with me, and it is quite close, so if you want to take a quick look before we discuss any further


    details. I know you want to respect Miss Star’s wishes, but it is probably preferable you see the


    property in question…”


    “Of course, of course! I do appreciate your honesty, plus you have been incredibly amodating and


    driving us around, to be honest. We will take a quick look at the apartment and then go to our hotel if


    you don’t mind, the journey has been a bit long and the jetg is set to hit soon!”


    “Of course, of course. Then, let me grab a couple of things and we shall get going…”


    I do hear Swithin ruffling through his papers, but then, Charles whispers something that only a vampire


    hearing could catch.


    “Are you not too tired? We’ll get to the hotel soon.”


    “No, Sir…”


    My God, my body wouldn’t even be cold yet and this bastard is fucking flirting? That woman’s almost


    meowing voice is so annoying, but his fake caring tone even more so. He used it on me too, and I used


    to believe his bullshit until he couldn’t be bothered to fake it anymore. Whether we find proof he


    definitely killed me or not, I’m already convinced. That bastard was already faking his act poorly at my


    funeral, but with an ocean between him and those who cared for me, he’s showing his true colors. Just


    you wait, you murdering bastard, I’ll get to you…


    “Let us get going!” Swithin announces.


    We hear their footsteps quickly leaving the office, and I let out a growl, not too loud because I’m still


    nervous they might hear me.


    “…The fucker,” grunts Bart too.


    Once I’m sure they have left Swithin’s office, I open the doors wide and walk in, rushing to the window


    to watch them leave. I’m careful not to be where they could see me, but I do want to see Charles’


    face… unfortunately, I can’t; Swithin’s car is in the windows blind spot. I soon hear them start the


    engine and leave and I grimace.


    “Don’t worry, you heard him,” says Bart. “He’ll be around for the next week, that leaves us plenty of


    time to get him.”


    “What now?”


    “Nothing,” he shrugs. “Swithin’s going to show them around the t, and then probablye back to


    work. Lance’sing to get us, he has documents to drop here.”


    I’m not satisfied with that, I just want… No, I need more action than that. I’m sour that Charles is


    walking around with some side chick, eyeing my belongings like a vulture and thinks he got away with


    it.


    “I need to get on his radar quickly,” I groan. “I want this bastard to suffer, not for him to walk around and


    the worst thing happening to him being jeg…”


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    “We will get to it, Baby Vamp, chill.”


    “Stop telling me to chill, Bart. I just can’t believe he…”


    I stop, looking back as someone just walked into the office, probably Lancelot. When I nce back


    though, Bart’s gone, and now I have a bad feeling. The door opens, and my heart sinks.


    …Rick just walked in.