He Buried Me But I Painted My Own Resurrection novel Chapter 53

Grant had always believed she manipulated Eleanor Gauthier to force his hand, which fueled his deep disdain for their marriage.

Not only did he refuse to give her a wedding, but he never offered her a single cent.

For all these years, Sienna had survived entirely on the money she made from her early paintings.

"Never touched a dime? Do I look stupid to you?"

Sienna didn't care whether Susan believed her or not. Too exhausted to argue, she dragged her suitcase around the maid and headed for the front door.

"Hold it right there! You've got some nerve!"

Susan reacted quickly, slamming her hand down on the suitcase handle. "What's in here? Did you steal from the family?"

As she spoke, she tried to pry the suitcase open.

"Let go," Sienna warned, her voice low and dangerously cold.

"I will not!" Susan yanked harder. "I watched Mr. Gauthier grow up. You don't call the shots in this house! I'm inspecting this bag right now."

The sudden tug-of-war sent Sienna stumbling backward. Her lower back slammed hard against the cold wall, and she let out a muffled gasp of pain.

Taking advantage of the moment, Susan snatched the suitcase. With a loud crack, she violently popped the latch open.

The lid flipped back, spilling its contents onto the floor. There was no jewelry. No designer bags.

Only neat bundles of paintbrushes, tubes of paint, and a thick stack of sketches carefully sealed in waterproof bags.

"This garbage?" Susan froze for a second, before her expression twisted into profound disgust. "Do you really think you're some kind of artist? How much could this trash possibly be worth?"

With that, she slammed her shoe down onto the sketches, grinding a dirty streak across the paper.

"You want to leave? Pay back everything you owe for your room and board first! Mr. Gauthier might be too nice to hold you accountable, but I'm not that easy!"

Sienna's eyes locked onto the smear of dirt, her pupils contracting. She snapped her head up, a look so fierce it made Susan jump.

"Get your foot off!"

"Who are you glaring at!" Susan barked, trying to mask her sudden fear. Instead of moving, she ground her heel down harder. "If you don't pay up, you're not walking out that door!"

Just then, a blaring, ear-piercing honk shattered the tension.

Acting as if she didn't exist, Lucas turned to Sienna. "Get in."

His tone was calm, betraying no emotion.

Sienna nodded. Before climbing into the passenger seat, she noticed a massive dent on the front bumper.

It was obvious Lucas had simply rammed the car through the estate gates.

Once she was inside, Lucas didn't drive off immediately. Instead, he turned his chilling gaze back to Susan.

"What is your relationship to the Gauthier family?"

"I..." Susan stammered, feeling her scalp prickle under his stare. "I've worked here for over twenty years. I took care of Mr. Gauthier!"

"Oh?" Lucas nodded slowly. "So, you're just a maid."

"A maid who takes a paycheck thinks she has the right to block the owner's path?"

Susan's face turned a violent shade of purple, but she couldn't find a single word to argue back.