Chapter 16 - Abigail’s Bargain
Two days later, my phone buzzed with an unknown caller.
I answered on speakerphone in the presence of Marcus.
"Summer... don't hang up," Abigail’s voice came through, trembling and stripped of all its high-society venom.
"You have five seconds to explain why I shouldn't block this number," I answered coldly.
"Julian is cutting Austin loose completely," she rushed out, her breath ragged.
"And he’s cutting me loose too. My father froze my trust funds because of the public scandal."
"That sounds like a personal problem, Abigail."
"I have Austin’s private hard drive," she blurted out.
"The encrypted one he kept in our penthouse safe. It has the email threads between him and my uncle Julian."
"Why come to me?" I asked, exchanging a sharp glance with Marcus.
"Because Julian threatened to ruin my family if I don't give the drive to his lawyers tonight."
"She’s terrified," Marcus mouthed to me across the desk.
"Meet me at the diner on High Street in thirty minutes," I said into the receiver.
"Bring the drive. If there’s a single cop or one of Julian’s associates within fifty yards, I walk, and you go down with Austin."
"I’ll be there alone. I swear on my life."
The line went dead.
May you like
Marcus reached for his coat.
"I’m driving," he said firmly.
