Page 176 of Chandelier Enthralled
I saw movement from up the driveway—it was Cameron storming toward us. He had something in his hands. He might just reach me in time.
Cameron threw a casual wave to the woman, and she turned and walked off.
Approaching the gate, I slid through the opening, terrified the driver might lunge for me and drag me to the limo before my brother could reach me.
Cameron met me on the other side of the gate. “I was looking for you.”
“He wants me to get in the car!”
Cameron looked surprisingly calm as he gave the driver a polite nod.
He handed over my handbag. “I called but you didn’t answer. You left your phone behind. I put it in here.” He pointed to my Birkin.
The driver was keeping his distance, at least.
Cameron brightened. “Aunt Rose invited us to lunch. I can’t go. Prior appointment.”
My shoulders relaxed a little and I tried to downplay my reaction. My heart was still racing, even though the danger had subsided. “This is last minute.”
“She wants to pamper you. Let her.”
I felt a rush of embarrassment that I misread the moment. I had perhaps proven I had entered the be-suspicious-of-everyone zone. A journalist was often faced with misleading situations—and then there was your own mind that could create extra paranoia.
I rallied by acting nonchalant.
It would be lovely to see my favorite aunt. I should have brought my phone with me on the walk, but I’d wanted to decompress. I’d spent the morning deep-diving Jewel’s background. The evidence proved her ferocity in business.
“You okay?” asked Cameron.
Nothing got past him, that was for sure.
“I’m fine.”
Cameron smiled with an expression that revealed he sensed my mood. Perhaps he had called in the cavalry in the way of Aunt Rose.
Relieved I wasn’t about to be kidnapped, I clutched my Birkin to my chest and headed back through the gate.
Then I climbed into the back of the limo.
Only minutes before, I had seen this going differently.
“Give her my love,” Cameron called out.
“I will!” I waved and was grateful when the door was shut so I could slump in my seat, feeling a bit weak from the adrenaline rush I’d just experienced.
Not driving meant I could admire the scenery, at least.
Spending time with my aunt was always a joy. She was my greatest inspiration. She had also inherited Cole Tea as a young woman and was a pioneer of her time. Alongside my father, she had tirelessly built Cole Tea before ultimately passing the reins to my father. And from him, the legacy was handed down to my brothers.
She was the legend, the driving force behind the Cole brand, the unyielding power that breathed life into it, shaping it into a towering empire.
Adding coffee had been Dad’s idea, much to her chagrin. However, she eventually came around after recognizing the benefits—profits soared.
Rose was also one of the kindest women I had ever met. Generous to a fault, she was a veritable icon.
But I had believed she was currently in the middle of a cruise.
The drive to meet her was relatively short.
