Filed to story: Watch Out, I’m The Lady Boss (Eleanor & Sebastian) Book PDF Free
He barely made it two steps before Sebastian kicked a chair into his path.
The leg cracked into Franklin’s calf.
He stumbled, crashed into the door with a loud grunt, slid halfway down it, wheezing.
Then came the knock Sebastian opened the door calmly.
Dominic stood on the threshold, flanked by two officers.
Sebastian stepped aside.
“He’s all yours.”
When Frankin was read his rights and cuffed, he didn’t react.
He didn’t seem to be aware of what was happening But when the officers tried to march him to the door, his knees buckled.
One of them had to grab his collar to stop him from collapsing on the carpet Sebastian watched Franklin being hauled out, head low, mouth open, limbs too loose to resist.
The tension in Sebastian’s chest lifted.
Franklin’s crimes-money laundering, falsified records, offshore transfers, tax fraud-had racked up a case worth over a hundred million.
He’d be lucky to get out in a decade.
***
Sebastian left work early.
Unusual for him, but after the morning’s chaos, he didn’t see the point in waiting around for more.
He stepped into the house, unfastened his cuffs, and headed straight to the kitchen.
The place was quiet.
Carmen wasn’t in.
He opened the fridge, stared at its contents, and shut it again.
He thought about making dinner.
Eleanor had tried last night and burned herself judging by the awkwardly wrapped finger she’d tried to hide.
But if he cooked for her tonight, she’d know he knew.
She’d feel self-conscious.
They’d have to talk about it, and that would spiral into another awkward conversation.
Too many ways to misstep.
So he messaged Carmen.
Dinner was nearly ready when Eleanor came through the door, hair damp from the snow, cheeks pink with cold.
“I have something to show you,” Sebastian said, holding out a folder.
She took it and sat, flipping through.
Her brows drew together.
“This is… Franklin’s will? He left me… everything?”
“It’s a forgery. The stamps are fake. The assets listed are a joke.”
“Hub.”
Sebastian watched her face, measuring her reaction “He hid most of his holdings. Offshore. Under aliases. Through shell companies. He was arrested today.”
She didn’t react right away. She just shut the folder and set it aside.
He waited for a flare of anger, a thrown accusation, even just a cold look.
The man was her father, after all,
But all she said was, “If he did all those things you said, then he deserves to go to jail.”
His shoulders lowered a fraction.
“With the evidence I gave the police, the case will be open and shut. This will’s invalid, but you’re the Vances” only biological daughter. The money will naturally pass to you when they’re gone.”
“They know about Catherine?” she asked, looking up.
Sebastian nodded.
“Caroline, Serenna, Preston-they’ll try to move what they can once they find out about the arrest. But don’t worry. I’m watching them.”
She gave a faint smile.
“You don’t have to go to all this trouble for me. You know I don’t care about their money.”
“I know,” Sebastian said.
“But you have a right to it. And they owe you, after everything.”
She leaned across the table and kissed him.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
“Right, I forgot.”
He hesitated, then asked, “Was there something you wanted to talk about last night?”
She sat down with a sigh and picked up her fork.
“What? Oh. Nothing.”
I’d been glued to my laptop so long my lower back had started protesting.
I finally dragged myself downstairs for water, stretched my neck, and nearly bumped into Prescott as he rushed in.
“You didn’t share the photos I sent you, did you?” he asked quickly.
“No. Why?”
He let out a relieved breath, then leaned in like he had a secret to share.
“Rowan’s people reached out to her fanbase. Told them not to repost anything. She says the guy in the photo’s just a friend. Dinner and nothing more. Blaming the angle.”
I set my glass on the counter.
“Maybe she wasn’t lying then.”
He didn’t catch that, just kept talking.
“Apparently, she gave the heads-up yesterday, but I only found out this morning. Good thing you kept it to yourself.”
“I didn’t leak anything,” I said.
“Relax.”
Prescott nodded, then sighed like he was personally invested.
“I really thought she’d landed someone serious. Judging by that guy’s clothes, he looked like the kind of man with stupid money. Could’ve helped her career. Shame it’s just a friend.”
He rambled on, trying to piece it all together out loud.
Whatever.
His recap matched what she told Sebastian, which meant she was actively trying to kill the story.
That also meant she hadn’t staged the photo herself.
So far, no real damage done.
“What was that?” I looked up.
“What?” Prescott stopped mid-sentence.
He followed my line of sight and stared out the window.
“Nothing. I thought I saw something.”
“What was it?”
“Can’t be sure.” I squinted but couldn’t make anything out.
“Thought it was a camera flash.”
“Are you sure? Could just be the glare from the sun.”
“Probably. Anyway, back to work.”
“Wait!” Prescott chased after me.
“I haven’t shared Rowan’s latest song with you. You’ve got to listen to it…”
***
At three in the afternoon, Prescott popped his head into my office, looking awkward.
“What is it?” I asked.