Julian brought Madeline and the kids back to the Grayson estate. Upstairs, Christian stood out on the balcony, watching as Julian helped Madeline out of the car.
Christian narrowed his eyes, holding a black phone to his ear. Claire’s voice drifted through the line.
His gaze darkened. “You’ve made it into the Ballard house. Did you see Shelly?”
“No, not yet.”
His tone dropped. “Why not?”
On the other end, Claire let out a tired sigh. “She’s not here. The Ballard elders told me she disappeared ages ago. Apparently, she’s got severe depression too. As for the rest...”
Claire let out a cool laugh. “They still don’t trust me, so they’re not saying much.”
Christian’s eyes stayed fixed on the driveway as Julian, Madeline, and the kids walked inside. “So how do you have the nerve to let the Ballard family throw you a party and announce who you are to everyone? With all that attention, what if someone will dig into your past? Julian is already investigating you, and now that Madeline knows, she won’t let it slide either.”
“Grandpa, even if I kept things quiet, they’d still look into me. I’m not scared. As for Julian... I just don’t get why you won’t tell him the truth about the past.”
Christian’s face stayed hard. “I have my reasons. Claire, I don’t care what you do with the Ballards, but you’re not to lay a finger on anyone in my family. Not Julian. Not the kids. If you try to use them for your own plans, I promise you’ll pay for it.”
He wasn’t just making empty threats. Christian meant every word. If Claire hurt anyone in the Grayson family, he’d never forgive her.
Claire’s voice was soft, almost teasing. “I understand, Grandpa. I know what I’m doing. You don’t need to worry.”
Christian wasn’t convinced. He only believed her a little, knowing how ruthless she could be. He’d seen it years back, when she was just a teenager and somehow managed to win Brian’s sympathy and become his adopted daughter.
After hanging up, Christian took a deep breath and called for George to come into the study.
“Sir, you wanted to see me?”
Christian thought for a moment. “Did we get an invitation to the Ballard family party?”
“Yes, sir. It arrived this morning. Are you thinking of going?”
Christian let out a sigh. “I’ll think about it. Has Julian said anything about his plans?”
“Not yet, sir.”
“Alright.” Christian waved him off. “You can go. Just keep an eye on him. If he leaves the Capital in the next couple of days, let me know right away.”
“Yes, sir.”
Christian rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. Julian hadn’t made any big moves yet, but he was sure both Julian and Madeline wouldn’t miss that party.
Looked like the Ballard family was about to put on quite a show.
Just as Christian expected, the very next day Julian started making arrangements to take Madeline to the Capital. It was obvious what he was planning.
Christian called Julian into the study. His grandson has been always going against him when it came to Madeline. Christian’s voice was low. “Are you really going to that Ballard family party with her?”
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