Chapter 368
James sat across from Mrs. Sanders in the upscale Manhattan café, watching as she weighed her options.
The document between them was an offer she couldn’t refuse–a lifeline for the struggling Sanders family.
He maintained a composed expression, his hands wrapped around a coffee cup he’d barely touched.
“Mrs. Sanders, I’ll be direct,” James said. “My employer has authorized me to offer extremely generous terms. All he asks in return is information.”
Madison shifted slightly in her seat, her fingers tracing the edge of the document.
Once, she had been a member of New York’s high society. Now, she was reduced to negotiating with a former rival.
“I’m still not clear why Henry Harding is suddenly interested in events from six years ago,” she said carefully, her eyes narrowing. “Or why he
believes I have information worth… all of this.”
She pointed at the document.
James took a slow sip of his coffee, deliberately making her wait.
“Mr. Harding has his reasons,” he said finally. “Let’s just say your son Thomas recently approached Mrs. Wilson and mentioned something about the Palace Grand Hotel. He also mentioned the word ‘mother‘–your son is not terribly skilled at being discreet.”
Madison’s face remained impassive, but her fingers tightened almost imperceptibly around her coffee cup.
“I see,” she said, her voice carefully neutral.
James leaned back. There was no need to rush.
The document in front of her promised the return of their family villa, a substantial financial settlement, and–most importantly–a cessation of Henry’s systematic dismantling of the Sanders family business interests.
It was an offer she couldn’t refuse.
“Take your time, Mrs. Sanders, James said smoothly. “My employer is a patient man.”
This wasn’t entirely true–Henry had many qualities, but patience wasn’t one of them.
Still, James knew better than to appear anxious during negotiations.
Madison took several more sips of her coffee, her eyes repeatedly scanning the document as if searching for hidden traps.
Finally, she looked up.
“Why me specifically?” she asked. “What makes Mr. Harding so certain I know anything of value?”
James allowed himself a thin smile. “Mrs. Sanders, my employer doesn’t make offers like this based on hunches. If he’s approaching you, it’s because he’s confident you possess information he needs.”
He watched her calculating her options. Since crossing Henry, the Sanders family had been in free fall. This offer represented salvation–if she cooperated.
“Fine,” she said finally. “What do you want to know?”
Chapter 368
James carefully placed his cup on its saucer. “It’s about what happened at the Palace Grand Hotel during that major rainstorm six years July. We understand you were there… specifically with interest in Sophia.
Madison hesitated briefly, her eyes darting as she appeared to sift through old memories.
“Yes,” she admitted after a moment. “I was there. My son was infatuated with Sophia back then–utterly besotted. He wanted to marry her
She laughed mirthlessly. “As if I would ever allow my son to marry someone like her! A girl from that background? Impossible!
Jámes nodded encouragingly, keeping his face neutral.
‘I went there specifically to put her in her place,” Madison continued. “She was working there as staff, wearing one of those ridiculous hotel uniforms. I wanted to make it crystal clear that she wasn’t welcome in our social circle.
James leaned forward slightly. “And did you see anyone else of note there? Perhaps Mrs. Harding? Or Isabella Scott?”
Madison paused, taking a moment to collect her thoughts.
“Now that you mention it… yes. I did see Catherine and Isabella,” her eyes narrowed in concentration.
“They were outside room 1913, standing very close together. They seemed… intimate. Not like casual acquaintances.”
“How so?” James pressed gently.
“Their body language. They were whispering, heads close together. They looked concerned about something–regretful, almost.” Madison took another sip of coffee. “They were standing there for quite some time, both staring at the door of the adjacent room.”
James carefully noted this information. “And did you approach them? Did you see what they were looking at?”
Madison’s lips curled into a small smile. “Of course I did. I’ve always been drawn to other people’s drama.” She leaned forward slightly. “I positioned myself where they couldn’t see me and looked at what had captured their attention–room 1914.”
Her voice dropped slightly. “I was too late to see everything, but I did catch a glimpse of a woman in a hotel uniform being pulled into the
room.
She was resisting–her hand was gripping the doorframe–but whoever was pulling her was too strong. Within seconds, she was inside and the door closed.”
James kept his expression carefully neutral, though his pulse quickened. “Did you see her face? Anything distinctive about her?”
Madison frowned slightly, concentrating. “It happened so quickly. I only saw her hand–it was delicate, with beautiful skin. Not what you’d expect from someone in service.”
She shook her head. “That’s all I saw. It was just a brief moment.”
James nodded, satisfied that he’d extracted all the useful information. “Mrs. Sanders, thank you for your cooperation. He gathered his belongings, including the signed agreement. “Mr. Harding will honor this arrangement as long as your information proves accurate. If we discover any fabrications…”
He let the threat hang in the air.
“The Harding family won’t trouble yours any further,” he continued smoothly. “But should this information prove false, I’m afraid the consequences would be… significant.”
James stood, buttoning his suit jacket with practiced precision. “Good day, Mrs. Sanders.”
As he walked away, Madison Sanders remained at the table, lost in thought.
Chapter 368
A memory stirred–something she hadn’t mentioned.
After confronting Sophia that stormy night, she recalled seeing the girl heading toward the elevators to the 19th floor.
Surely it couldn’t be the same girl, she thought, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach.
Could it?
She took a final sip of her now–cold coffee, wondering if she’d just made a terrible mistake–or secured her family’s future.
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