Larissa Judson and Haskell Palmer novel Chapter 686

Leopold closed the car door and turned to see Finley approaching, a wide smile on his face. “Finley!” he called out, rushing to meet him. “Where are they? The invitations?”

Finley grinned and pulled three envelopes from his pocket. “Right here.”

Leopold took them, his hands trembling slightly as if the thin pieces of paper were made of gold. He carefully opened the top one and saw his own name printed in elegant script. His eyes lit up.

“This is fantastic!” he exclaimed, his voice filled with pure joy. “Tomorrow, I can finally go to Larissa’s party and be there for her, officially!”

“I know… It’s the first time we’ll get to celebrate our own sister’s birthday,” Finley said. “I brought these over, and now I’m going to go find her a gift.”

He hadn’t a clue what to buy. Money was tight, which complicated things. In the past, he’d simply had his secretary find the latest limited-edition bags, clothes, or jewelry for Honora, with each gift costing a small fortune. Now, his savings were meager. He couldn’t afford anything too expensive, but he worried something cheap would be an insult. He decided he would just have to browse and hope to find something that was both meaningful and within his budget.

“I’ll come with you, Finley,” Leopold offered. “My new songs are all set to go, so I’m free.”

“Alright,” Finley agreed.

“Let’s just take my car.”

Kiernan looked at his daughter coolly. “You’re the one who said you wouldn’t set foot in that house again, even if I were dead. Why the change of heart?”

Josette’s eyes immediately welled with tears. “Dad, that was just something I said in anger! You didn’t take it seriously, did you? Of course I’d come to your funeral… I mean—no, not funeral! May you live a long and healthy life!”

“Enough with the theatrics,” Kiernan said, his tone all business. “I agreed to meet you because you said you had a business secret from the Lincoln family concerning Judson Pharmaceuticals. Let’s hear it.”

His life’s work had been building the Judson family enterprise. He would not allow anything to threaten it. It was why he had flatly refused Helena’s offer to invest in Judson Pharmaceuticals years ago when Josette married Jagger; her condition of gaining control over two production lines was unacceptable. The company was his pride, his legacy, and he would not see it tarnished in his final years.