Chapter 7 - THE CONSERVATORY OF BROKEN GLASS
June sat beneath the cracked glass roof of the abandoned conservatory.
Rain tapped against the panes.
Dead vines twisted around rusted iron supports.
Victor Harlan stood near a table covered with documents.
Dr. Graves paced beside him.
June stared.
She had expected Victor.
Not Graves.
"You should have stayed out of this," Graves said.
June lifted her chin.
"Delaney needed someone to listen."
Graves laughed bitterly.
"Delaney needs stability."
"She needs honest care."
His expression hardened.
"You have no idea what her condition requires."
June looked at him.
"Then why did you hide her progress?"
Silence.
Victor turned.
"Enough."
He approached June.
"Where are the recordings?"
She stared at him.
"I don't know."
Victor sighed.
"We searched your room."
June said nothing.
He leaned closer.
"You think Adrian Moretti will protect you?"
June met his eyes.
"I think he'll protect his sister."
Victor smiled.
"That's what makes him predictable."
Graves stopped pacing.
"Victor, this has gone too far."
Victor turned sharply.
"Now you grow a conscience?"
Graves looked away.
"We were supposed to manage the trust. Not—"
"Not what?"
Graves said nothing.
Victor stepped closer.
"Not keep the girl from contradicting us? Not prevent Adrian from discovering what Richard found?"
June's heart hammered.
Richard Moretti.
The father.
The crash.
She forced herself to remain still.
Victor continued.
"Richard was going to expose the accounts. He was going to destroy everything."
Graves whispered:
"He was going to report us."
Victor stared at him.
"And you agreed we couldn't allow that."
June felt sick.
The men were speaking openly because they believed she would never leave.
Outside, headlights moved beyond the trees.
Victor looked toward the window.
His expression changed.
"What was that?"
Graves turned.
Then the sound of vehicles reached them.
Doors.
Footsteps.
Voices.
Victor grabbed his phone.
No signal.
June looked toward the glass roof.
For the first time in hours, she allowed herself to hope.
Investigators surrounded the building.
Victor attempted to escape through a rear door.
He was detained.
Graves surrendered.
June was escorted outside.
The cold air struck her face.
She began shaking.
An officer wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.
Then she saw a familiar black car beyond the police vehicles.
Adrian stood beside it.
He looked exhausted.
His face was pale.
But he was there.
June stopped walking.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Adrian approached.
"June."
She stared at him.
He swallowed.
"I'm sorry."
The words surprised her.
"For what?"
"For not knowing your name."
Her eyes filled.
He continued.
"For not seeing what was happening in my own house."
June looked away.
Then whispered:
"How's Delaney?"
Adrian's voice softened.
"She's waiting for you."
May you like
June began crying.
And for the first time since leaving the estate, she believed she might actually get home.
