Chapter 3 - The Gathering of Shadows
Without another word, Raymond bent down, his broad shoulders easily hoisting two of the heavy, worn suitcases off the tile floor.
"Get up, Elena," Raymond commanded softly, offering her his arm. "You’re coming home with me."
Elena hesitated, her arms still locked around four-year-old Leo. Her eyes darted around the crowded baggage claim area, filled with a deep, defensive terror that made Raymond’s chest ache.
"She... she said you approved it, Raymond," Elena whispered, her voice trembling with intense vulnerability. "Beatrice said you signed the severance papers yourself... she said you didn't want the burden of raising Liam's child after what happened."
Raymond stopped dead in his tracks. He turned his head slowly, looking directly into Elena’s hazel eyes for several seconds.
The realization hit him like a physical blow. Beatrice hadn't just tried to evict a grieving widow; she had systematically lied to Elena, using Raymond’s name to weaponize her grief and force her out of the country before Raymond ever realized she was gone.
Raymond lowered the two suitcases back onto the ground.
Slowly, deliberately, he reached into his inner suit pocket and pulled out his private encrypted smartphone. He unlocked the device with a thumbprint and dialed a speed-dial number, placing the speaker against his ear as he stared out across the airport terminal.
"David," Raymond spoke the moment the call connected, his voice cold and devoid of warmth. "This is Raymond."
On the other end of the line, his longtime corporate attorney, David Vance, answered immediately: "Raymond? Where are you? I thought you were at the estate for the board meeting."
"Cancel the board meeting," Raymond ordered coldly. "I need you to go into my private safe at the firm right now. Bring me Liam’s complete file to the Long Island house immediately."
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There was a sudden, tense pause on the line. "Raymond... the complete file? Are you sure? You swore you would never open that folder again unless—"
"Bring the file, David," Raymond interrupted, his voice dropping an octave. "The documents Beatrice was never supposed to see. Meets me at the front gate in twenty minutes."
