Chapter 321
James’s POV
The sunrise hadn’t even touched the Manhattan skyline when I arrived at The Peninsula. The luxury hotel stood silent in the pre- dawn darkness. My phone buzzed with a message from Mr. Stark: Proceed as planned. Report everything.
Jeffrey Sinclair–Washington power broker, Sinclair family pillar, and Mr. Stark’s uncle–was staying in the presidential suite. At precisely 7:00 AM, I knocked on his door.
“Who is it?” A wary voice called from inside.
“Mr. Sinclair, I’m James Wilson, Mr. Stark’s assistant,” I replied, keeping my tone neutral and professional.
The door opened just enough to reveal Jeffrey’s face. The man looked terrible–eyes bloodshot, silver hair disheveled, designer pajamas wrinkled. He’d clearly spent the night tossing and turning.
“What do you want?” he demanded, not bothering with pleasantries.
“Mr. Stark instructed me to escort you to see Miss Sinclair this morning,” I explained. “She’s currently at Manhattan General. Her condition is stable.”
The color drained from Jeffrey’s face. “Elle is in the hospital? Since when?”
“For a few days now, sir. Mr. Stark believed you’d want to see her as soon as possible.”
He hesitated, suspicion warring with concern. “Give me fifteen minutes.”
The private wing of Manhattan General Hospital.
Jeffrey remained silent as I led him through the private wing, his eyes darting nervously around the pristine corridors. By the time we reached Elle’s room, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.
“This is Miss Sinclair’s room, Mr. Sinclair. I should warn you-*
A blood–curdling scream cut through the air, followed by the sound of something shattering against a wall. Jeffrey jumped like he’d
been electrocuted.
“What the hell is going on in there?” he demanded, eyes wide with alarm.
I affected a concerned expression. “Has Miss Sinclair been experiencing… episodes lately? The hospital staff mentioned she’s been talking to herself–saying things like ‘go away‘ and something about a child.”
Jeffrey’s head snapped toward me. What are you implying?”
“I’m not implying anything, sir,” I replied ‘carefully. “Mr. Stark has been keeping this situation under wraps. After all, Miss Sinclair did physically assault both Robert and Jane. That’s a serious matter in New York society.”
“What the f- Jeffrey’s face contorted with disbelief. “Are you saying Elle attacked Robert and Jane?*
“With a knife, sir. Mr. Stark chose not to involve the police out of respect for you, but Miss Sinclair was becoming increasingly dangerous. She nearly harmed William Stark as well. Mr. Stark had no choice but to have her brought here for treatment.” I hesitated deliberately. “Regarding the child she keeps mentioning…
1/3
“That’s her pet dog, Jeffrey cuft in quickly too quickly. “She probably misses the damn thing. Look, now that I’m here, I’m taking Elle back with me. Open the door.”
His explanation was so obvious fabricated that I had to fight to keep my expression neutral. Mr. Stark would be very interested in this particular lic.
The moment I unlocked the door, it burst open from inside. Elle Sinclair–wild–eyed and disheveled in a hospital gown–tunged at Jeffrey with a feral scream.
“You monster! Give me back my child!” she shrieked, fingers curled into claws as she raked them down his face.
Blood immediately welled up from the scratches. Jeffrey staggered backward but managed to grab Elle’s wrists.
“Elle, stop! It’s me, Jeffrey! Your father!”
Elle thrashed violently in his grip, her face contorted with hatred. “Father? Hahaha! I don’t have a father! You’re the bad man! The bad man! Give me back my child! Don’t touch me!”
I watched impassively, cataloging every word and reaction exactly as Mr. Stark had instructed. Jeffrey struggled to control Elle as she kicked and screamed.
“What the hell are you standing there for?” he shouted at me. “Help me!”
“Get a doctor! We need a sedative!” I called out, finally moving to assist him.
It took both of us plus two orderlies to hold Elle down while a doctor administered a sedative. Within moments, her struggles weakened, and her eyes grew unfocused. The raw hatred in her expression slowly melted into confusion, then vacancy as the drugs took effect.
Jeffrey stood panting, blood trickling down his cheek where Elle’s nails had left deep gouges.
“Mr. Sinclair, your face-” I began.
“I’m fine,” he cut me off, his voice hard. “I’m taking Elle with me now”
“Of course,” I replied smoothly. “As Mr. Stark said, Miss Sinclair is your adopted daughter. You’re free to take her whenever you wish.”
Jeffrey’s eyes narrowed at my phrasing, but he said nothing as he gathered Elle’s limp form. The doctor provided discharge papers, which Jeffrey signed without reading. Within twenty minutes, they were gone–Jeffrey supporting a heavily sedated Elle toward the parking garage where his driver waited.
“Did you get everything?” I asked Dr. Sullivan as soon as Jeffrey was safely out of earshot.
Sean nodded, pulling out his phone and tapping the screen. “Full video and audio from three angles. The AI enhancement picked up everything. She definitely said ‘child,‘ not ‘dog.”
“Send it to me now.”
An hour later, I set a tablet on Mr. Stark’s desk, the video already queued up. He watched silently, his expression betraying nothing as Elle screamed about a child and Jeffrey scrambled to control the situation.
He seemed surprised by her condition?” Mr. Stark asked, his voice measured.
2/3
Chapter 321
“Very,” I confirmed. “But his reaction to the mention of a child was.. telling. He immediately fabricated a story about a pet dog. The explanation came too quickly to be spontaneous.”
“Your observational skills are in proving,” Mr. Stark noted, rewinding the video to watch Elle’s outburst again. “Investigate this. Find out what Jeffrey is hiding.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And Elle’s references to ‘bad man‘ and ‘child–dig into those as well if you’re too busy, borrow Landon from Edward. He’s more skilled at this type of research anyway.”
“Understood, sir.”
“A pet dog?” Mr. Stark’s mouth curved into a cold smile. “Elle Sinclair used to torture animals as a child.”
The fact that Mr. Stark knew such a detail about his cousin’s childhood didn’t surprise me. He left nothing to chance, especially when it came to potential threats.
“What about the photographs?” I asked. “Have they all been removed?
“Are they?” Mr. Stark countered, watching me closely.
“Yes, sir. I’ve personally verified that all traces have been eliminated from the Stark residence. The photographs themselves have been destroyed completely.” I hesitated. “Though, Mrs. Sinclair might have seen them. Could she pose a problem?”
“Even if she talks, it won’t matter,” Mr. Stark replied dismissively. “When is Jeffrey leaving New York?”
“I checked his flight information. The day after tomorrow.”
“And Elle is with him at the hotel now?”
“Yes, sir. He brought a doctor to the hotel. They’re likely treating her as we speak.”
Mr. Stark leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled under his chin. “Find some baby pictures,” he said suddenly. “Since Elle .mentioned a child, let’s see how Jeffrey and my mother react to that particular stimulus.”
“Infant photos specifically, sir?” I clarified.
“Yes. Let’s see what kind of reaction we get.”
