His New Stepsister. His Biggest Threat. novel · Chapter 25 of 32
Chapter 25: The Night Before
The executive producer's office had a new smell on Thursday morning.
Not toner. Fear, and very strong coffee.
The lawyer in the sweater vest was there, and a woman with a badge on a lanyard who didn't say what agency it was from.
On the desk sat a clear evidence bag with a white envelope inside.
Smile by Boyle, in blue, on the top left corner.
Still sealed.
"Collected from Mr. Boyle's chart drawer yesterday at four," the lawyer said. "Two witnesses. Photographed. Nobody has opened it."
"Nobody's going to," the producer said. "Until Saturday."
She looked at both of us.
Gannon was in the chair by the window. I was in the chair by the door.
She'd made us drive separately.
"Here's Saturday," she said.
She ticked it off on her fingers.
"Rounds one and two are new. I wrote them myself last night with two people I'd trust with my kidneys. Nobody outside this room has seen them."
"And round three?" Gannon asked.
"Round three keeps the three categories our friend sent your father. Same names, same order, on the same screen. I've written new questions under them. The game stays honest. The board looks bought."
"So Hal sees them light up," I said.
"And relaxes. And squeezes your mother's hand." She took off her glasses. "Then I'd like you to stop my show."
"Me?"
"You burned the first one. You get to say it."
She slid an index card across the desk to me, face down.
"Those are the three categories. Our friend wrote them out from memory. Don't say them out loud, not even to him."
I turned the card over.
I glanced at the card, and I turned it back.
"What does Hal think?" Gannon asked.
"That the clip worked, that I let Ms. Dolan back on because she cried, and that she's now his." The producer almost smiled. "Our friend told him last night. Your father sent back a champagne emoji."
"He would," Gannon said.
"Section nine," the producer said, and both of us sat up straighter. "The order stands on paper until the red light. Half of Glendale filmed you on Tuesday, Mr. Boyle. I have not decided what I'm doing about that. I'll decide after we're off the air."
"That's fair," he said.
"It isn't remotely fair. It's television. Go home. Separately."
My mother unblocked me on Friday afternoon.
I know because a text came through at 2:16, while I was cutting limes.
Front row, baby!!! VIP passes came by courier. Hal is SO proud of you. Wear the green. We'll be right there.
Then a photo.
Two laminated passes on her white sofa, and her diamond in the corner of the frame.
I put the phone face down on the cutting board.
"Her?" Marva said.
"Her."
"Don't answer."
"I wasn't going to."
I cut limes until I ran out of limes.
The rest of this chapter is part of the paid portion of the series. Chapters 1–16 of His New Stepsister. His Biggest Threat. are free to read — start from the beginning, then unlock the rest with coins in the app.
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