Chapter 9
The 'gift' was about to be revealed by Paige when Margaret swiftly pressed it back into the bag.
Xena Sackler's heart nearly stopped as a glimpse of the 'gift', a camera, peeked out of the plastic.
Margaret's voice was barely a whisper, "How did you get out? Is this a place for your kind? Don't forget the three-day deadline was up."
Paige smiled faintly, not mentioning the prior meeting after her release, instead projecting loudly, "I was eager to celebrate your birthday with you, Grandma, so I filed for an early release. Luckily, my good behavior paid off, and I got out over a month early."
Margaret's grip on Paige's bag shook slightly, her voice still low, "Today is my birthday, what are you playing at? Who asked about your early release? And what's with the camera; are you planning to broadcast something here and now?"
Paige chuckled, "Looks like Grandma's memory is still sharp. Since you remember, there's no need to broadcast anything today. It's been five years, and I'm here to fulfill a promise."
Xena Sackler stepped forward, but she didn’t dare confront Paige directly, instead positioning herself behind Margaret.
She glanced around nervously, then whispered, "Paige, does it have to be today? It's Grandma's 70th birthday, for crying out loud. How could you even think of spoiling her big bash?"
Margaret was glad at the comment, her mind contrasting the two granddaughters: one was thoughtful and obedient, always looking out for her. The other was defiant and rebellious, deliberately choosing her milestone celebration to stir up trouble.
Her patience snapping, Margaret said sharply, "If you had even an ounce of your sister’s sense, you wouldn't have ended up behind bars for five years."
Paige’s heart sank. Was this the same Grandma she knew? Oh wait, that's right; five years ago, a DNA test had shown there was no blood relation between them at all!
With that realization, Paige felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She jostled the bag in her hand, saying, "I suppose you'd rather not have me sticking around for the festivities, right? So, is it going to be here and now that we settle our old debts, or what?"
Margaret Trump glanced at Paige, her voice tight with anger, "Xena, take your sister to my lounge."
Xena Sackler felt a chill run down her spine. Alone with her? Ever since that incident five years ago, she’d been uneasy about being with Paige in solitude.
But then she reminded herself who she was: the Sackler family heiress. What did she have to fear?
"Follow me," she commanded, leading the way, and Paige grabbed her bag and tagged along.
Margaret reassured the inquisitive guests, "A distant relative just dropped in, doesn’t really know the ropes. Let’s carry on with the party."
No sooner had she spoken than someone whispered to her, "Ma'am, Mr. Carnegie has arrived."
Margaret had weathered many storms; a wayward granddaughter was the least of her concerns. She sat poised at the head of the gathering, waiting for Louis.
Louis arrived with a lavish gift and after exchanging pleasantries, he began to look for Xena Sackler.
Margaret stood up, took Louis by the wrist, and said, "Come with me."
Once they were alone, she got straight to the point, "Louis, there's something you need to know. Paige is out of prison. She showed up just now, and I had Xena escort her to the lounge. It’s the perfect moment to deal with her demands and call off your engagement."
As Margaret spoke, she was oblivious to the shock that crossed Louis’s face at the mention of Paige's release, a shock mingled with a tangle of complex emotions.
After five long years behind bars, he couldn't help but wonder what Paige looked like now.
Louis’s hand hovered over the doorknob to the lounge, his heart erratic, betraying the calm he tried to project...
As they neared the door, a voice burst forth from within, "Paige, you're hurting me!"
Snapping out of reverie, Louis pushed the door open immediately.
There was Paige, her grip on Xena's wrist unrelenting, marked by varying shades of red from the pressure.
Their eyes met as the door swung open, and Louis was rooted to the spot. Seeing Paige after five years, it felt like time had curled back upon itself, conjuring illusions of days long past.
Margaret, standing beside Louis, snapped angrily, "Paige, what are you doing? How could you treat your sister like that?"
Paige let go of Xena's wrist with indifference. She didn't bother to explain that it was Xena who had tried to snatch the camera from her grasp, a camera that held evidence from five years ago. Evidence of Xena pushing their mother, Madam Sackler, down the stairs, nearly killing her.
Back then, with the proof in their face, Margaret insisted that if Paige took the fall for Xena, she would save her mother and acknowledge Paige as one of the Sacklers. Paige would even get a stake in the Sackler Corporation upon her release. If she refused, Margaret would let her mother die.
At eighteen, a naive Paige, freshly returned from the countryside, had no choice but to confess to Xena's crime.
What she hadn't anticipated was Xena, desperate to prove her worth, took part in a counterfeit scheme that put the Sackler Corporation in jeopardy.
To curry favor with the Sacklers for future benefits, Louis proposed a solution: let Paige, then in custody, take the blame.
At that time, Paige didn't understand that either way, all the evidence pointed to her. To survive, she gave up her right to appeal and also agreed to an engagement with Louis.
Today, all those responsible for Paige's five-year sacrifice were in this very room.
Paige released Xena's wrist and with a wry smile, said, "Now we're all here."
Paige appeared fragile, unsophisticated, almost as if frozen in time from five years back.
Yet, there was something different about her now.
A dull ache settled in Louis chest; the years in prison hadn't withered her beauty; they seemed to have enabled it to bloom instead.
Her unadorned face and the simplicity of her clothes only highlighted how untainted she remained, as if lingering in a bygone era.
Margaret had just glanced at Xena Sackler's wrist and, turning swiftly, she slapped Paige across her face.
"You little tramp, did five years behind bars teach you nothing?" Margaret spat.
The slap caught Paige totally off guard. She ran her tongue over her cheek where the sting was sharpest and let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Slap me, kill me if you must, but today I'm seeing my mother and claiming what's mine."
Turning to Louis, her eyes hardened: "And you, Louis, stuck on always playing dirty. Just so you know, our engagement was void the second I walked out of that prison!"
Louis's voice came out strained, as if something was caught in his throat. "Better that way!" he growled.
Fearing Paige might lash out at Xena, Margaret instructed her, "Go, get what's in the safe for her."
Xena muttered under her breath, clearly reluctant, "Grandma, we can't let her off that easy."
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