Chapter 36 What's Her Game?
Xena Sackler skimming from the project budget painted a clear picture of desperation for cash, which was odd for someone of her standing.
An individual who clearly wasn't strapped for cash, yet taking such risks, and now she had Paige taking the fall. Paige was rightfully intrigued by where had Xena's money gone.
Unsurprisingly, as soon as the question of money came up, Xena's demeanor shifted dramatically. She turned on Paige with a ferocious sneer, "You're prying way too much, aren't you? Since when is my business your concern? Get your act together, Paige. Grandma did agree to make you part of the Sackler family, and yes, she was willing to give you some tasks to do, but don't for a second believe that you are now on par with me. Trying to be my equal? In your next life!"
With those words, Xena walked away, taking with her the documents Paige had already signed. Paige watched her departure with a slight smile curving at her lips. The reaction she got was just perfect!
Paige chuckled to herself, pulled out her cell phone, and dialed a number. She gave her instructions in a calm and collected voice, "Look into all accounts under Xena Sackler's name, along with the flow of the funds."
After hanging up, Paige looked forward to unveiling the real reason the Sackler heiress was so desperate for money that she even resorted to tapping into project funds.
Meanwhile, as Xena exited with Paige's signed confession in hand and got into her car, almost instantly, she called Louis to put on a show of ‘explaining herself.’ She was completely oblivious to Paige’s capabilities.
When Louis heard that Xena had pinned the project on Paige, he was taken aback. He knew better than anyone how the Sackler family regarded Paige. Five years ago, on just his casual remark, the Sacklers had indeed made Paige bear Xena's blame, resulting in five extra years behind bars.
Could the Sacklers really trust Paige with one of their profitable ventures, and even let her pocket millions from the deal?
Louis barely listened to Xena's explanation before he hung up and began searching for Paige's number. It was only then that he realized he didn’t even have her contact details. He could ask Xena, but pride got the better of him, so he ordered one of his subordinates to dig up the information instead.
He was Louis, the formidable CEO of Hawke Corporation, a man of stature and influence in Northwind. Finding someone's contact details was usually a cakewalk for him.
However, his assistant returned after several hours of waiting, hesitating and saying, "Mr. Carnegie, we couldn't find Miss Sackler's contact information."
Louis furrowed his brow, "Does she not use a phone?"
His subordinate looked perplexed, "Miss Sackler was recently released from prison; it could be possible."
Louis gave him a sidelong glance. Paige without a phone was hard to imagine. Perhaps she got her phone under a different name.
Before Louis could reprimand him, Bradley’s call came through. An invitation to dinner at home, an invitation Louis couldn’t decline.
But it wasn't just Louis who got the call; Raymond had also been notified by Bradley.
“Why not take this chance to bring Paige over for dinner?" Bradley suggested, "You've known her for a while now; you know she’s a good person. Given our family status, shouldn't we stop hiding things from her? Isn’t it akin to deceiving her?”
Bradley’s mention of Paige caused Raymond’s expression to darken. Prior to today, before he caught Paige trying to break into his bedroom door, he might have considered it an ideal opportunity, given their otherwise amiable rapport.
However, now Raymond wasn’t so sure on what was an act and what was genuine about Paige.
Raymond responded, "I'll handle my own affairs."
With that, Raymond hung up, cutting off the trailing sigh from Bradley at the end of the line.
Raymond had no intention of bringing Paige home for dinner. Sending her a quick text, he claimed he’d be working late and told her not to wait up for him. With a flicker of irritation, he tossed his phone aside.
That evening, Raymond was the first to return to the family mansion. Even if Bradley hadn’t called today, he would have come back to check on his own home. Upon arriving, he went straight to his room.
Raymond had carefully inspected the door lock himself. It was clear, given the lack of marks, that Paige had been exceptionally cautious with her sleight of hand.
Inside the room, Charles was already examining the lock mechanism.
“Raymond, how come madam managed to pick the lock without leaving a trace?” Charles inquired.
Raymond’s face darkened, “Are you saying you wanted her to leave evidence behind?”
Hearing the edge in Raymond’s voice, Charles quickly corrected himself, “No, no, that’s not what I meant. It’s just… what on earth was madam aiming to do by picking the lock?”
“Why don’t you ask her yourself?” Raymond retorted.
Charles was stumped. How could he possibly confront her about something like this?
"Do you think, maybe, madam already knows who you are?" Charles asked Raymond, putting aside their conversation about the lock. Even though you haven't participated in Northwind for a long time, it's possible that someone there still knows who you are. Louis is the next in line. He may have given madam a slip-up. If she's aware of your identity, that could explain why she tried to pick the lock.”
At that moment, Raymond stood in his room, close to the recessed doorway leading to a hidden space. His gaze was fixed on the concealed entrance.
He wondered if that was what Paige was after. If she was looking for his hidden chamber, then who was she? What did she know?
These questions swirled in Raymond’s mind. He wasn’t so much worried about Paige discovering his identity. Whether people knew Raymond's name or not didn’t truly matter. What was vital were the secrets of his room.
Knowing that Paige had tampered with his door, he couldn’t ignore her intentions any longer.
Then, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
Charles answered it. It was Sean, with a message: “Raymond, the guests have arrived, and Master Carnegie says dinner will soon be served. Please, get ready to join the table.”
Raymond casually inquired, "Who are we hosting at the house today?"
Sean answered, "The Sackler family, along with Francesca and Louis discussing matrimonial plans at home."
"The Sackler family? Is Paige coming too?" Raymond asked, a hint of anticipation in his voice. After all, he knew there had been some interactions between Paige and her family lately.
"No, she’s not," Sean replied succinctly.
Raymond couldn't help but realize Paige wasn't yet granted the privilege to attend such family gatherings with the Sacklers.
