Chapter 48
Layton finally lost his patience. “Alonzo, if you can’t eat like a normal person, just go upstairs p>
Alonzo let out a cold laugh. “Fine, I’ll go. Someone here is killing my appetite anyway.” He kicked his chair back and stormed up the stairs.
Dorothea didn’t even look at him the whole time.
Layton tried to smooth things over with a forced smile. “Dorothea, don’t take him too seriously. He’s just asking for trouble. I’ll deal with him later p>
Dorothea gave a small, easy smile. “It’s fine p>
Once the table had cleared out and it was just the three of them, Elise finally spoke up, her tone casual but her words sharp. “Dorothea, did you ever transfer the five percent stake Ladd promised you last time p>
Dorothea paused, her expression turning a bit cold. “Yeah, I did. Why? You still can’t get over my wedding gift p>
Her comeback made the air at the table go stiff.
Elise’s face tightened, her annoyance barely hidden. “Watch your mouth. Who cares about your wedding gift? Layton just doesn’t want you to mess things up. The company your father left you is enough for you to handle. Just keep the five percent in your name for now, but hold it for Layton. You can give it to him in a few years p>
Dorothea set her chopsticks down and dabbed her mouth with a napkin, her voice calm. “Layton, is that what you want too p>
Holding it for him? She knew exactly what they were after. They just wanted those shares in her hands.
She and Latham were only in a marriage of convenience. When they split up, she’d hand the shares right back to Latham, just like they agreed. Why would she ever give them to her stepfather?
Layton just smiled faintly, saying nothing. Elise pushed on. “What’s wrong, Dorothea? You don’t want to? If it weren’t for Layton, you’d never have gotten close to Latham in the first place. Even if you’re just his wife on paper, are you really planning to keep the wedding gift all to yourself p>
Dorothea pressed her lips together, her tone steady. “Mom, The Gresham is what my father left me. Why shouldn’t I have it? Or does the Brown family have a tradition of selling their daughters off for cash p>
Elise’s face changed and she slapped her palm on the table. “Dorothea, who do you think is selling their daughter p>
Dorothea’s smile was cool and effortless. “Whoever feels guilty, that’s who I mean. Layton, I doubt you’want anyone to say you traded your daughter for money, right p>
She let her words linger. “And besides, my last name isn’t Brown p>
Layton’s smile slipped. For the first time, he realized Dorothea wasn’t someone he could push around.
“Dorothea, you really have grown up, haven’t you? Gotten some backbone too. Eat your dinner, don’t overthink things. That was just your mother’s idea. The shares are yours now not after them p>
Layton was the picture of fake innocence, pushing all the blame onto Elise.
Dorothea didn’t bother calling him out.
“As long as you’re not after them, that’s fine. I’m done eating, so I’ll head out need to grab something from the attic.” She stood up with an easy smile and made her way out to the little attic on the east side of the garden.
There was a diary she’d been meaning to get, something she wanted to burn and finally forget.
She found the butler to unlock the door and started sifting through the old clutter. Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind her.
Dorothea spun around, pounding on the door, but nobody answered.
She reached for her phone, only to realize her bag was gone too. Someone had taken it from the door handle.
Then, just like that, the lights flicked off, leaving her in total darkness.
The silence pressed in. She could hear nothing but the wind rattling the leaves outside the barred window.
Alonzo’s voice floated from the stairs, mocking and cold. He tossed her bag aside like it was nothing.
“You really need to learn your lesson. There are some places you just shouldn’t go p>