Page 91 of Destiny

I gasp.

“I was. I was in the delivery room.”

“But how—”

“Simple enough. Colored contact lenses. A surgical mask. Disguised as an intern, simply observing.”

“Does Dad know?”

“No, and I have no intention of telling him or your mother. When you were born, Ava, I felt something. Something I didn’t even feel when your father was wrestled from my body. You, Ava, are my true progeny. Heir to everything that I am.”

“I don’t want to be like you, Grandmother.”

“But you are, Ava, and I’m afraid there’s nothing you can do about that.”

I curl my hands into fists, and without saying goodbye or good night, I leave the room, slamming the door.

She’s wrong about me.

I’m nothing like her.

And I will prove it.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Brendan

Dad and I reach the city attorney’s office the next morning before Donny. In fact, before the office is even open.

Finally, a security guard unlocks the door. “Sean, Brendan. What are you doing here so early?”

“We need to see Donny.”

“Good timing. Callie and he are just arriving now.”

Callie and Donny enter through the door.

Dad shoves the paper in front of Donny’s face. “You want to explain this, Steel?”

Donny takes the paper. “Sean, I haven’t had any coffee yet this morning.”

“Do I look like I care? What the fuck is this?”

Donny glances down at the paper, scans it, and then looks at me. “Brendan, I don’t understand this.”

“Neither do I,” I say, “because you just told me the other day that you don’t know what the Steel Trust is. That your family has no record of it.”

“I don’t. But whoever sent this document seems to know.” Donny looks to my father. “I told Brendan I would take care of this, and I will. I don’t know anything about this letter. I need to talk to my father and my uncles, but I can tell you now, none of them know what the Steel Trust is either.”

“I want to get to the bottom of this, Steel,” Dad says.

“No more than I do, Sean.” He lifts the paper. “May I make a copy of this?”

“Sure. But I can tell you right now, I don’t have the money to pay off this lien.”

“Don’t you worry about that.”

“And I’m not taking your money either,” Dad says.

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