Chapter 3: The Shadow in the Garden
"If you fire her, Grant, you can pack your bags too."
Henry Whitmore stood in the kitchen doorway. He wasn't wearing his usual stooped posture today. He stood tall, his silver hair neatly combed, his eyes sharper than they had been in years. The "weather soup" from the night before, combined with a breakfast of fresh eggs and cinnamon coffee Claire had quietly slipped him, had given him back his fire.
"Father," Grant said, his voice dropping in shock. "She's accusing Cynthia of—"
"She's telling the truth," Henry said, walking over and placing a heavy, warm hand on Claire’s shoulder. "Cynthia came to my room an hour ago with Dr. Lowell. They brought a new 'vitamin' injection. When I refused it, Cynthia got angry. She told me I was becoming a burden to your career, Grant."
Grant’s face went pale. He looked from his father to Claire, the first seeds of doubt finally planting themselves in his brilliant corporate mind. He turned on his heel and marched toward the grand library where Cynthia and Dr. Lowell were currently waiting.
Claire and Henry followed close behind.
Inside the library, Cynthia was pouring a glass of champagne, celebrating what she assumed was an impending victory. Dr. Lowell sat in a leather chair, filling a small syringe from a clear vial.
"Cynthia," Grant said, his voice dropping into a register that made the entire room turn cold. "What is in that syringe?"
Cynthia blinked, quickly replacing her shock with a bright, beautiful smile. "Grant, darling! You're here. Dr. Lowell is just administering your father's weekly therapeutic booster. It helps with his cognitive decline."
"My father doesn't have cognitive decline," Grant said, stepping forward and snatching the syringe straight out of the doctor's hand. He turned to his head of security, who had just entered the room. "Arthur, take this vial to an independent lab in Greenwich immediately. Do a full toxicology screen."
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Dr. Lowell stood up, his face turning an ash-gray color. "Grant, this is an insult to my medical reputation—"
"Your reputation is about to be reviewed by the medical board, Lowell," Grant hissed. He turned to Cynthia, his eyes burning with absolute betrayal. "I want the truth, Cynthia. Now."
