Oliver’s question was just for show–he was only pretending to be polite to Patricia. In reality, he had already thrown a dagger straight at Newton Enterprises.
Lately, Howard felt like every door was slammed in his face. No matter what he tried, it led nowhere. The people he used to rub shoulders with in Riverdale’s inner circle had vanished. These days, he couldn’t even get a meeting with district officials, let alone anyone from city hall.
He knew something was off. So, he grabbed drinks with an old classmate who worked for the government, hoping for some insight.
After a few rounds, when the buzz had set in and the bar was almost empty, his friend leaned close, half–drunk, half–serious, and asked, “Did you piss someone off?”
Howard let out a bitter laugh. “Who in Riverdale has the power to freeze me out like this?” This was his home turf. The Newton family had been here for decades, running a legacy business, creating jobs, paying taxes. Kyle used to visit Newton Enterprises every year, always giving him face.
Now, Howard couldn’t even get a callback. Forget respect–he was lucky if anyone picked up the phone.
His friend hesitated, then dipped his finger in his drink and traced a single letter on the table: L.
Howard stared at it, brow furrowed, racking his brain for anyone this could mean. He came up empty.
“Who is it?” he pressed.
His friend just put a finger to his lips. “That’s all I can say, buddy.”
Howard left the bar feeling suffocated and angry. When he got home, the tightness in his chest
hadn’t eased at all.
In the living room, Theo was on the phone with a department manager. Whatever he was hearing, it wasn’t good.
“The resort just opened. How is there already a fatal accident?”
The Newtons had invested a fortune into a luxury resort in Springfield, hoping to catch the booming vacation trend. They’d carved out a mountain, built a retreat for city folks, poured in billions, and now, right after opening, someone had died.
Theo hung up and explained everything to Howard.
“I’ll go check it out myself,” Theo said.
Howard’s warning was sharp. “Someone’s got us in their sights. Be careful, with everything.”
Theo felt a chill run through him. “Dad…”
He already had a gut feeling who was behind all this. And he was pretty sure Howard knew, too.
“Handle the resort. I’ll stay in Riverdale and keep an eye on things. We’ll talk about everything else when you get back.”
As Theo left, he sat in the back seat, rolling his phone absently in his hand. His eyes were dark and
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cold, his jaw set. He couldn’t help but regret it–back when his grandmother and mother had made their move, he’d hesitated, felt a moment of mercy. Mercy for someone like Patricia. He almost laughed at himself now.
After a long pause, Theo unlocked his phone and dialed a familiar number, his fingers moving automatically. The dial tone rang in his ear. He barely even breathed.
The car glided smoothly onto the highway, the asphalt stretching ahead in a perfect line. No bumps, no turbulence–nothing at all to disturb the steady ride.
It was nothing like the storm brewing in Cloud Peak’s study.
Patricia felt like she was being tossed around by waves, up one moment, down the next, barely able
to breathe.
She tried to dodge Oliver’s kiss.
Annoyed, he grabbed her chin and forced her to face him.
