Page 150 of Reckoning

He nods. “It’s part of it.”

“What is this curse? Tell me what you know.”

He once more glances ahead before obviously lowering his voice. “The diamond belonged to Marie Antoinette, then some Sultan had it and he lost his throne, then someone else got hold of it and they were murdered.”

“I get it.” I say cutting across him. Apparently this damned diamond is a death stone. “But who says my father had it?”

“It’s the rumour.”

I shake my head. “If my father had such a thing, don’t you think my brother would know?” I doubt he’d tell me but he wouldn’t hide it from his golden son.

He shrugs, “Maybe he hid it away. Maybe he stashed it somewhere.”

Stashed.

Why does that word bring up a memory? Blue Eyes spoke about a jewel being stashed, surely he didn’t believe this tale? Why would Otto have handed it over anyway? Why wouldn’t he have made a play for it himself?

Unless it really is cursed.

No, that’s ridiculous. There’s no such thing as a damned curse.

I draw in a long breath. One that sounds panicked.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” Colt says quickly.

“It’s fine,” I lie. Besides, I’d rather he was honest. I’d rather he tell me the truth than treat me like I can’t handle it.

We fall to silence. Strained, awkward silence. I contemplate messaging Roman, asking what he knows but I’m not in the right headspace to actually have such a conversation.

When we pull up outside the fancy offices it’s almost a relief.

Though when I get inside it feels anything but.

I sit there, mute, like a robot as these overpaid suits go on and on about how my recent escapades haven’t helped my cause. How my current reputation is doing nothing to sway the judge. When I lose my temper and shout out for the millionth time that I don’t want any of my dead husband’s money, they all just shake their heads, like I’m the one deranged. Like I’m too stupid to understand any of this.

“Maybe we should speak with her brother.” One of them has the audacity to say.

“You know what?” I reply, rising to my feet. “You speak with Roman, but it makes no difference. You’re fired. All of you are.”

They gasp, they splutter. I doubt anyone has ever fired them before in their entire privileged little lives. But I don’t give a shit how good they are. They haven’t listened to me once. In fact they’ve gone completely against my wishes. Have ignored everything I’ve said up until now. I’m done sitting by, playing the mute, compliant idiot they all view me as.

I storm out into the hall. Colt jumps up from the uncomfortable looking leather seat he’s been occupying.

“We’re done?” He asks.

“We are so done.” I state, folding my arms, heading towards the ridiculous glass lifts.

The sooner I’m back at Koen’s house the better.

Sofia

Iall but sneak back into the house, feeling like I don’t want company, that I just need some alone time.

And then I spend hours looking up that jewel. Googling it. The image that appears makes my heart stop. It’s not clear, it’s not see-through, it’s nothing like any other diamond I’ve ever seen before. It’s black, pure black, with a tiny red centre.

The photo is clearly old, from the days when they’d only just invented colour photography so it’s not exactly a perfect image but it’s clear enough.

The stone is the size of an apricot. It’s bloody huge. Surely if my father had such a thing I would have known? He wasn’t that good at keeping secrets.