Queen Mom Rules novel · Chapter 12 of 24

Chapter 12: Costly

Two club servers walked my mother off the stage.

She went with her chin up and her shoulders shaking, past the paper lanterns and out through the side door.

My father watched her go.

He did not follow, and I will remember that for the rest of my life.

I picked the glass necklace up from the floor and put it on the nearest table, beside a basket of rolls.

Nobody in that room said anything.

Then the double doors at the back of the ballroom opened, and Leon Brannigan walked in.

He was in a black suit and no coat.

He carried a thin leather folder, and he came straight down the center aisle between the tables.

I heard someone whisper, "That's the banker."

My father heard it too.

"I invited him Saturday morning, before any of this," he said quietly. "I didn't have the heart to cancel."

Leon stopped in front of us.

He did not look at me first, which I noticed.

He looked at my father.

"Mr. Kettering," he said. "May I speak to you in front of your friends?"

"You may."

"What I did with your loan was wrong," he said. "I'm here to correct it."

A rustle ran around the room.

He opened the folder, took out a stack of papers clipped together, and held them out.

"This is your promissory note, signed over to you."

He held it steady.

"The loan came from my own account, not my firm's, so it's mine to forgive. It's forgiven. You owe me nothing."

My father stared at the papers.

"Son, that's four million dollars."

"Yes, sir."

"You'll lose it."

"I know."

My father took the note with both hands.

"There's one more thing," Leon said.

He turned to me.

From inside the folder he drew out a single printed page and held it up so the whole room could see the title.

PROJECT LANTERN.

"My board was told this morning that Brannigan Capital withdraws every offer on Harbor Line," he said.

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