Chapter 3

After Braxton left the morgue, he really did take several relatives straight to Evelyn's studio.

While I was on my way there, I received a frantic call from Patrick Granger, one of the employees. He told me that members of the Cobb family were trashing the place. I called the police immediately.

By the time I arrived, the office door had been smashed open, and papers were scattered across the floor. Black shoeprints covered Evelyn's design sketches, and several young employees were huddled in a corner, crying.

Macy was sitting in Evelyn's office chair, rummaging through her desk drawers. Personal belongings had been tossed onto the floor. Her diary, jewelry box, and bottles of stomach medication lay scattered everywhere.

I rushed over, grabbed Macy by the arm, and yanked her out of the chair.

She screamed, "He's attacking me!"

Braxton charged out of the next room, clutching an iron bar. "How dare you touch my daughter?! I'll break every bone in your body!"

He swung the bar at my shoulder. I threw up my arm to block it, and the metal slammed into my forearm instead. Pain shot through my entire body, and the employees behind me cried out in alarm.

"Mr. Jenkins!"

I gritted my teeth and kicked Braxton in the stomach. He stumbled backward into a bookshelf, sending folders crashing to the floor.

Clutching his stomach and gasping for breath, Braxton pointed at me and cursed.

"You bastard! You're finished! That's assault! I'm calling the police and having you arrested!"

I rubbed my numb forearm. "You've vandalized Evelyn's business and attempted to extort money from me. I'm the one who should be calling the police."

Macy was holding an old black phone that Evelyn had used back in college.

Just then, two uniformed officers who had responded to the call hurried through the door.

"Who called the police? What's going on here?"

The moment Braxton heard them, he tossed the iron bar aside and kicked it under the sofa. In an instant, his expression changed. He suddenly looked like a harmless, grief-stricken man who had been terribly wronged.

"Officers, there's been a misunderstanding. This is a family matter."

He sighed, clutching his stomach where I had kicked him, then pointed an accusing finger at me.

"This guy was dating my late niece. She just jumped off a building, and now he's trying to steal the business she left behind! We couldn't stand by and watch him get away with it, so we'd a little disagreement."

Seeing her father's performance, Macy put on a wounded expression and dabbed at her eyes. She pulled out the old black phone, opened a message thread, and showed it to the officers.

"Officers, you've to help us! This man isn't just trying to steal her money. He's covering up for my shameless cousin!"

She held the screen up for the officers to see.

"These are messages Evelyn sent my dad before she died! Look! She wrote, 'Uncle, I'm coming to your room tonight.'" Macy raised her voice so everyone in the office could hear her. "She was an ungrateful little tramp who tried to seduce the very man who raised her! She jumped because she knew she'd been caught!"

The office fell completely silent.

The employees stared in shock, and the officers frowned. Braxton straightened his clothes and put on an expression of deep sorrow.

"Some things should never have been made public. I took her in because I felt sorry for a helpless orphan. Who knew she'd turn out to be so shameless at such a young age? She was always running into my room in her pajamas! I kept quiet because I didn't want to tear my family apart.

"Then, as soon as she got into college, I made her move out. And even after that, she wouldn't leave me alone. She kept sending me those disgusting, inappropriate messages!

"I lent her three million dollars just to help her get away from our family! I never imagined she'd team up with this guy to dodge her debt. The Cobb family is completely in the right here!"

My vision blurred with rage.

Evelyn had tried to seduce him?

She stiffened whenever I so much as touched her. After showering, she always wrapped herself up from head to toe. Even in the middle of summer, she wore long sleeves and pants.

How could she possibly have tried to seduce Braxton, a man old enough to be her father?

I lunged forward to snatch the phone, but Braxton raised the iron bar and swung it at my head.

I jerked sideways, but the iron bar still grazed my forehead. Blood immediately streamed down my face, blurring my vision until everything seemed to turn red.

The officers rushed forward and subdued Braxton.

"Stop! Drop the weapon!"

Even with his face pressed against the floor, Braxton continued shouting, "Officers! I have proof on that phone! Evelyn was the one who tried to seduce me first! Seth is obviously covering for that slut!"

I glared at Braxton. "Hand over the phone."

Macy hid it behind her back and lifted her chin defiantly. "Why should I give it to you? The Cobb family bought that phone for her years ago! She owed our family a fortune. Everything she owned should go toward paying off her debt!"

One of the officers stepped forward and barked, "Hand over the phone! It's important evidence in an ongoing investigation!"

Macy realized she was losing control of the situation. In a sudden panic, she raised the phone high above her head, ready to smash it against the floor.