The Heiress He Underestimated novel Chapter 60

Chapter 60 Not A Pawn

The lie was transparent, but delivered with such earnest, anxious hope that Elera couldn’t even be angry with her aunt. Margaret was a pawn, moved across the board by a more ruthless player.

“I’ll think about it, Aunt Margaret,” Elera said, because she couldn’t bear to hear the immediate disappointment in the woman’s voice. “I’ll call you back.”

She hung up and stood in the silent hallway, the hum of the lab equipment a distant buzz. She looked down at her hands, still smelling faintly of antiseptic. She was a world away from tea at the Westminster Hotel.

Walking back to the main house, she found Drakonius in the library. He was attempting to do the gentle physical therapy exercises for his hands, slowly squeezing a soft ball, his face was a mask of concentration against the lingering stiffness.

“Trouble?” he asked without looking up, sensing her presence.

“My father,” she said, sinking into the chair opposite him. “Using my aunt as a fishing line. There’s a problem with my grandmother’s medical charity. He wants me to meet my aunt to look at papers.”

Drakonius set the ball down. “A meeting. In the city.”

“Yes. A public place, but ‘discreet.‘ He’ll be there. Or he’ll have someone there.”

“And will you go?”

Elera stared at the flames in the fireplace. “The foundation is a good one. It does real work. If it’s in jeopardy because of his stupidity or greed…” She trailed off. “But it’s a trap. An obvious one.”

“Then see it as an opportunity,” Drakonius said, his voice calm. “You control the terms. You name the time, “Then see it as an opportunity,” Drakonius said, his vo the place. You bring the security. You don’t go to his game. You make him come to yours.”

She looked at him. “You think I should meet him?”

“I think,” he said, choosing his words carefully, “that a predator who is kept hungry and frustrated gets reckless. A predator who is given a scrap, on your terms, might be easier to manage. You can deliver a message. A clear one.”

“Then we learn something,” Drakonius said simply. “We see who comes out of the woodwork. Information is also a form of control.”

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