Larissa Judson and Haskell Palmer novel Chapter 648

Watching Rigby’s guilt-ridden expression, Larissa chuckled to herself. He really wasn’t cut out for lying with a guilty conscience.

Once Larissa was inside the room, Haskell had Crispin hand the invitation to his brother. “This is for Larissa’s birthday party.”

Rigby paused, taking the card. “Thank you, Mr. Palmer,” he said softly.

“I’ve told you before,” Haskell said gently. “There’s no need for such formality between brothers.”

Rigby understood what Haskell meant but simply pressed his lips together without a word.

“By the way,” Haskell added intentionally, “aren’t you planning to bring Sire to the party? I can have Larissa send him an invitation as well.”

After a moment of thought, Rigby shook his head and offered an excuse. “Sire isn’t comfortable in crowded places like that.”

Haskell feigned disappointment. “Oh. Well, if you say so.”

“Zoltan Palmer doesn’t know who I am yet, does he?” Rigby asked.

“No, I promised Sire I wouldn’t expose your identity for now,” Haskell confirmed. “But I have to be honest with you—the people who need to know already do, including Grandpa. He may be old, but the people working for him are still very capable.”

Rigby said nothing more, his mind racing. If his grandfather was so formidable, how could he not have known that the whole prophecy from some quack fortune-teller about him being a drain on the family’s fortune was just a scheme cooked up by his own son, Thatch?

Perhaps, just as the person on the phone had suggested, his grandfather had tacitly approved of the whole thing. Maybe Zoltan had wanted an excuse to suppress, or even punish, his mother.

He would find out soon enough. Once he met his grandfather at the birthday party, he might finally glean some insight into the truth behind his mother’s car accident all those years ago.

“There you go,” Larissa said with an easy smile. “I was just bluffing about not treating you to stick up for Haskell. You saved his brother’s life, after all. I’m not going to let you die.”

[Thank you.]

After signing, Sire closed his eyes as Larissa began the treatment, her focus absolute.

Larissa glanced up at him. She knew exactly what he was thinking: he needed to stay healthy to get his revenge on Zoltan, so he was swallowing his pride and pretending to trust Haskell.

She knew his true intentions but continued the treatment anyway, playing her part in Haskell’s plan.

As she inserted a needle into his temple, she thought, “Just be a good pawn, Sire, and help Haskell sweep Fraser and Solomon off the board for good.”