Page 10 of The Last Morgan
“No,” she replied evenly. “You weren’t.”
Her aunt rose next, her smile brittle.
“It’s been such a long time. We thought maybe…”
“You thought I was gone,” Lucy said, cutting gently through the lie.
Her aunt hesitated.
“We thought perhaps… you’d found peace elsewhere. That you’d moved on.”
That did it.
Her jaw tensed. Whatever softness she had arrived with, she let go of now.
“I didn’t move on. I was placed in protective custody because someone murdered my entire family — in this house. My house.”
The air changed.
Silence tightened around them, thick and suffocating.
Then Lucy straightened her shoulders, her tone turning matter-of-fact.
“I’ll be taking the master bedroom. You’re welcome to remain — for now.”
Her eyes scanned the room. Calm. Clear and cold.
“But I’ll need to speak with whoever has been running the household. There are things that need to change, starting immediately.”
Her uncle’s mask of civility cracked.
“My wife oversees the staff,” he said stiffly.
“Good,” Lucy replied. “Then we’ll meet first thing in the morning. I expect a full breakdown of household operations, financials, and anything else you’ve been handling in my absence.”
Her aunt stiffened. Her uncle’s fingers curled subtly at his sides.
They hadn’t expected her to be composed. They certainly hadn’t expected her to be prepared.
Carter stepped forward, his tone clipped and professional.
“Lucy will be settling in tonight. See that her room is prepared.”
Her aunt opened her mouth — maybe to argue, maybe to protest — but stopped short and gave a tight nod instead.
“Of course.”
Corey leaned in close, his voice full of amusement.
“This is going to be fun.”
Lucy didn’t respond, but she agreed.
This was only the beginning.
The house fell into a hush.
Not eerie silence, but that uneasy quiet that settles when people are unsure how to behave. Her so-called family had decided — conveniently — to spend the night at a hotel. Claimed it was to “give her space.”
