PART 9
Selina watched me.
“What are you doing?”
I looked at the screen.
Then smiled.
“Something happened before I left Canada.”
Godfrey frowned.
“What?”
“The company had a safety investigation.”
“A machine malfunctioned last year.”
“I was injured.”
Selina’s eyes changed immediately.
Not concern.
Interest.
I continued.
“The company settled with several workers.”
Godfrey moved closer.
“How much?”
I waited.
Then said.
“My portion was just over one million dollars.”
Nobody spoke.
Phedra looked at me.
She knew me well enough to hear something in my voice.
Selina did not.
Her entire face transformed.
“One million?”
“Approximately.”
Godfrey’s anger disappeared.
“You’re serious?”
“Yes.”
Selina stepped toward me.
“Damian.”
“My son.”
I almost laughed at how quickly my status changed.
Five minutes earlier, I was the ungrateful son accusing his family.
Now I was her son again.
Her very valuable son.
I continued.
“The money hasn’t been distributed yet.”
“There are documents.”
“Taxes.”
“Release forms.”
“A final transfer.”
Godfrey’s eyes were bright now.
Selina reached for my arm.
“We can fix everything.”
I looked at her hand.
“That’s what I was thinking.”
Phedra stared at me.
Then lowered her eyes.
She understood.
I was not offering them money.
I was baiting a trap.
PART 10
Selina immediately moved away from the door.
“Of course Phedra should go to the hospital.”
Her voice became soft.
Maternal.
Almost tender.
“We were only trying to make her strong.”
Godfrey nodded.
“Exactly.”
“She refused to cooperate.”
I said nothing.
Selina took off the hummingbird necklace.
She approached Phedra.
“This belongs to you.”
Phedra did not reach for it.
I took it.
Then put it in my pocket.
Godfrey asked.
“So when do you get the money?”
I looked at him.
“Soon.”
“How soon?”
“A few days.”
Selina smiled.
“Then we should sit down tonight.”
“As a family.”
“Make plans.”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
“We should.”
She relaxed.
That was the second mistake she made.
