Layson received a phone call as he stood near the doorway, gazing out into the dull light of the slums. It was one of his men.
“We’ve got Ella,” the voice on the other end said. “She had the birthstone with her... and two hundred thousand dollars.”
Layson ended the call and turned toward Adela, who sat quietly, staring off into space. Walking over to her, he crouched slightly to meet her gaze.
“You gave your stepmother two hundred thousand dollars?” he asked, his tone calm but edged with curiosity.
Adela blinked at him, her expression blank at first. It took her a moment to register what he was talking about. Then she remembered—the money she had given Ella to safeguard.
“I didn’t want my dad gambling it away again,” she murmured. Her voice was soft, almost as if she were apologizing.
