Gilded Revenge: The Ex-Wife's Billion-Dollar Empire novel · Chapter 10 of 24

Chapter 10: The Hill Road

"Not here," Lucinda said. "I'm taking you somewhere else."

"The rule says a public place."

"The rule is mine. I'm changing it for today."

Alden followed her down to the garage without arguing.

The Ferrars driver was waiting by the sedan with the door open.

"Ma'am."

"I'm driving myself today."

"Mrs. Ferrars's rule is that I drive you."

"Mrs. Ferrars isn't in this car." She held out her hand. "The keys, please."

He looked at her for a long moment.

Then he looked at Alden.

Something passed between the two men that Lucinda couldn't read.

The driver put the keys in her palm.

"I'll follow in the other car," he said.

"You'll do no such thing. Stay here. I'll call."

He did not like it.

He stayed.

She drove out of the city with Alden beside her, past the river and the last of the warehouses, with the SUV a quarter mile behind.

She did not look in the mirror.

She did not need to.

"Where are we going?" Alden asked.

"Hollis Hill Road."

She felt him turn his head.

"My mother said that name."

"I know."

The road climbed in long, tight curves through bare maples.

The guardrail ran along the drop on the right side, bent and repaired in two places.

At the third bend the barrier stopped for a gap about the width of a car, then started again.

She pulled over on the narrow shoulder there and turned off the engine.

"Three years ago, I was driving home from my father's funeral," she said.

Alden said nothing.

"My father had died four days before. A heart attack, they said. I'd found him in his study. The medicine on his desk was in the wrong bottle."

"Lucinda."

"My uncle had signed the death report and then signed the arrangements. He sat next to me at the service and held my hand. I didn't think anything. I just wanted to go home and sleep."

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