Page 34 of Leo

“I have no idea, but I guess it’s not your problem any longer, is it, Mother?” Her mother’s hurt expression should have bothered her, but it didn’t.

“Lenora. Honey, we don’t know what will happen to us. You’ve been left out of this, but your father and I may have to go to court.” She only stared at her mother, not saying a word. Her entire world was crumbling around her. She didn’t give a shit where they lived.

“Don’t worry, Mother, I’ll be fine.”

“Lenora, we know you’ll be fine. You’re a strong, smart, resilient young woman. You’ll be successful no matter what you do in life,” said her mother. She gripped her shoulders, and Lenora pulled back, fearful that she might attempt to touch the backpack.

“I have to go. I need to sell my jewelry and get the money to the school.”

“Go to Abram on 5thand 56thin Manhattan,” said her father. “He’ll give you a fair price and won’t say a word to anyone.”

Now, the guilt hit her. Her father was helping her even though she was taking things that belonged to him.

“I-I will, Daddy. I’m sorry. For all of this,” she said, waving her hand. “I’m sorry.” She turned, leaving them standing, staring at the chaos around them. It never occurred to her that she should stay and help them, fight for them. She only worried for herself.

Abram was as good as her father said. He paid top dollar for the watches, the jewelry, all of it. It was more than enough for tuition and for her to live off of for the next ten years. She opened a bank account, only placing a tiny amount into it in order to reduce any suspicions. When asked where her moneycame from, she cited tutoring jobs and part-time jobs at the university. With the rest of the money, she opted for small safes and lock boxes in her tiny apartment.

When the trial for her parents and her father’s company began, her parents never gave a reaction to the fact that the courts reported millions in diamonds, jewels, and watches were missing from their property. Since she wasn’t living in the lap of luxury, she wasn’t a suspect.

After all, how could a twenty-one-year-old college girl living in a studio apartment with only a tiny amount of money in the bank have anything to do with her parents’ deceptions?

And her parents never gave her away, knowing full well their own child had done this to them.

Sentenced to ten to fifteen years in prison, she never set eyes on them again. Her mother died first. She never knew how or why. Her father wasn’t far behind, dying of pneumonia in prison.

For Lenora, nothing would ever be okay again until she acquired all that belonged to her family. She was almost there.

The eggs would bring millions of dollars on the black market, and the amber pieces were priceless. But she expected that she would get millions for those as well.

With the money, she could finally buy back the mansion that had once belonged to her family. Over the years, she’d re-purchased the furniture, china, artwork, books, family heirlooms, and more. Those that wouldn’t be sold to her, she stole. It was hers. It belonged in her home.

The items were safely stored in a massive warehouse in Connecticut, just waiting to be returned to their rightful place.

Then, she would forge her own way in the business world, taking everyone by storm. But first, she needed to call someone.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“Hello.”

“Tillie? This is Gemma,” said the woman.

“Gemma?” repeated Tillie, ensuring that the men around her knew who it was. The trackers and tracers were immediately activated as Tillie kept Gemma on the phone.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Is it?” asked Tillie.

“What do you mean? Yes, it’s me,” she said.

“What I mean, Gemma, is that we know that Gemma isn’t your real name. Echo told us.”

Lenora knew that bitch wasn’t trustworthy. She was a good con artist and thief, but she couldn’t be trusted.

“No. Gemma isn’t my real name,” she said casually. “It seems Echo has been talking out of turn.”

“Maybe. She’s worried for you. There are a lot of people trying to find you and find that pack you’re carrying. The items aren’t worth dying for,” said Tillie.

“I won’t be dying for anyone,” she said with disgust. “I’m simply going to make a business decision that will help me.”

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