Nolan's anger reared its ugly head at Henry as his words grew harsher. "You're just betting on that she won't survive this so you can get the money you need to sustain your lifestyle. You would be nothing without her."

Henry was about to open with a retort when Michael strolled into the room offering a calming tray of refreshments and sodas. He had a spectacular ability of turning the subject from hostility to cordiality in a simple smile. Michael seemed oblivious to the two lions getting ready to rip out each other's manes.

Henry's knuckles were white as he held his Pepsi bottle tightly. He could see the bottle's gla.s.s beginning to crack under the strain of his fingers. Henry knew it wouldn't end well so he had made an excuse by saying his colleague had texted him about urgent business before disappearing to a floor Nolan wouldn't have access to.

=//=

It was strange to come home to an empty house. Henry was so used to Michael chatting him up, even at odd hours of the night when he would come home drunk or with a woman in tow. Michael had deservingly taken tonight off to care for his ailing wife. The other serving staff had also astonis.h.i.+ngly listened to his requests to be alone. It was nice one in a while to realize that a house full of thirty people . . . no wait . . . thirty two . . . if he counted his annoying brother-in-law . . . was still his home.

He reached his wing of the manor and began to wait past the huge framed portrait of his happier parents in the early days of their marriage. Henry was imagining the soft bed that awaited him when he realized that the shadow underneath the painting was much longer than when he last remembered it. His heart stopped in his chest for a minute as Henry imagined that he was in a horror movie and a killer had come up to finish him off.

He strained his eyes to see and realized with a jolt to jumpstart his heart that it was not that. It was an emanc.i.p.ated body that belonged to the woman who had been the center of his life for the past few weeks. Ellie Chen was leaning against the wall, her hands finding support as she moved along the wall. There was a gallery below them where there was a railing to have a view of a chandelier that Henry's mom had designed out of love for his father. The gallery was a full two stories below them so it was very small as someone viewed it from above.