All Chapters of Too late, Ex. NOW WATCH ME RISE: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Vanessa Cole in a suit looked wrong, like a nurse in a cream dress.She sat in Lillian's small apartment an hour later, after Margaret and Edward and Grace and Nathaniel had all arrived and were crowded into the living room, staring at Vanessa like she was a ghost who had learned how to use a briefcase."I got the job yesterday," Vanessa said, her hands clasped around Lillian's chipped mug, not drinking, just holding for warmth. "Victoria said I have a talent for finding information people don't want found, because I spent three years finding information about you. She said I could use that talent for good."Lillian stared at her. "You want to work for Victoria Sloan? The woman who had security footage of William for eleven months and didn't show it?""Yes," Vanessa said, and for the first time, her voice didn't shake. "Because Victoria is the only person in this family who is more ruthless than my mother, and I want to learn how to be ruthless in the right direction."Margaret, sitti

Lillian did not go alone.She had learned, in twelve months, that going alone to the Brooks estate when someone writes on a wall in red lipstick is how you die.She went with Nathaniel, who drove, with James, who brought his toolbox and who now knew everything about Claire and Patricia and potassium, with Vanessa, who had texted Meet me at the estate alone because Patricia made her, but who was now sitting in the back seat crying and saying, "I didn't write that on Grace's wall, I swear, Patricia made me copy it, she called me from prison, she has a phone—"And with Grace, who insisted on coming because it was her wall, her apartment, her mother Margaret who was now safe at Edward's house with police outside.They reached the estate at 1 a.m. The gates were still bent from where Lillian drove through them last time.The front door was open again.Inside, the marble hallway was dark, except for one light on in William's study.And sitting at William's desk, not Patricia, not Vanessa, b

The police station at 2 a.m. looked exactly like it had three months ago when Lillian was there after Patricia first tried to poison her with vitamins, gray walls, no windows, plastic chairs.Only this time, the lobby was full.Everyone from Lillian's apartment was here, Lillian, Nathaniel, Margaret, Edward, Catherine, Grace, James, Vanessa, Howard Greer holding his daughter Lily's hand, Dr. Renee Ashton holding Eleanor's diary, Victoria Sloan holding her folio and looking like she had planned this exact lobby confrontation for twenty years and was finally enjoying it.The detective from last time walked out, took one look at the crowd, and said, "Mrs. Brooks, you again?"Lillian stood up, holding a supermarket carrier bag that now contained six letters, two lockets, one diary, one police report, three white pharmacy bottles with no labels, one photograph of Patricia with Claire, one photograph of Margaret on William's lap, one deed for 50% of a company, and one small green succulen

The day after the clause expired, nothing happened.No lawyers called. No stock dropped. No one filed anything. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. It was just like any other day, but it was special, the moment was one of a kind.Lillian woke up at 6 a.m., watered her three plants, put on her scrubs, and went to Global Care, where Grace was already there, making coffee, and Maya was arguing with Priya about where to put the expensive green plant, and James was fixing the radiator with his toolbox, and Vanessa was taking blood pressure correctly, supervised by Maya.Nathaniel arrived at 8 a.m., in jeans and a Volunteer t-shirt, holding two coffees, like he did every day now.He handed one to Lillian. A slight gesture of warmth."Morning, Nurse Harper," he said, trying not to smile. Which was awkward in the name calling, but Lilian responded "Morning, Volunteer Brooks," Lillian said, taking it.The day kicked off, They worked side by side all day, taking intake, holding hands, clean

It was 6:03 a.m. on a Monday, and Lillian Harper was watering her three plants when her phone started screaming.Not buzzing. Screaming.47 texts. 12 missed calls. All from the same group chat: Global Care Volunteers (NO VANESSA DRAMA).Maya: LILLIAN TURN ON THE NEWS NOWPriya: OH MY GOD THEY LEAKED THE DEEDJames: Don't come to clinic yet. Press outside.Lillian opened the news app with wet hands.BREAKING: NURSING STUDENT SECRETLY OWNS 50% OF BROOKS GROUP — $500M Deed Filed at Midnight Without Board ApprovalThere was a photo. Not the laughing photo from The Chronicle. A photo from Gerald's office security camera — Lillian at 11:47 p.m., in scrubs, signing the deed, Nathaniel outside holding coffees.Someone inside Gerald's office leaked it.Below the headline, one line that made her stomach drop:Sources say Mrs. Harper obtained shares through coercion of elderly founder William Brooks before his death. Board to hold emergency vote at 9 a.m. to remove her. Original will shows found