Chapter 3 - The Hospital Whispers-3
Julian took a slow step backward, gesturing for his security guards to stand down. He pressed his palms together, putting on an expression of deep, wounded concern.
"Spencer, you're distraught," Julian said, his voice dropping into a soothing tone. "If someone used our corporate servers to commit a crime, I will personally hire the top private investigators in the country to find out who did it. But right now, you aren't thinking clearly. You're letting emotion blind you."
Before Spencer could reply, Charlee stepped out from behind his coat. She pointed a tiny, trembling finger directly at Julian’s shiny leather shoes.
"You," Charlee whispered, her small voice cutting through the silent hallway.
Julian frowned, looking down at the little girl in her oversized clothes. "What did you say, kid?"
"You were there," Charlee said, her voice growing stronger. "Two nights ago... behind the dumpsters by the brick wall. You were talking to a woman in a grey coat. She was crying, and you threw a black bag into the big metal bin."
Julian’s eyes widened in sudden, vicious panic. "You filthy little liar! Spencer, you're taking the word of a homeless street beggar over your own brother?!"
"GET OUT!" Spencer bellowed, grabbing Julian by his lapels and slamming him against the wood-paneled wall. The two guards stepped forward, but Mrs. Mabel raised the heavy candlestick, and Spencer’s cold, lethal glare made the guards pause.
"If I see you on this property again without a court summons, Julian, I will have the estate guards shoot you for criminal trespassing," Spencer hissed in his brother's ear. "Now take your muscle and get off my land."
Spencer shoved Julian backward. Julian stumbled, coughing, his face red with humiliation and rage. He straightened his jacket, glared at Charlee with absolute hatred, and turned on his heel.
"You're making a catastrophic mistake, Spencer!" Julian yelled over his shoulder as he retreated down the grand staircase. "You'll regret this!"
Once the front door slammed shut below, Spencer turned to Mrs. Mabel. "Is Dexter safe?"
"He's sound asleep, Mr. Spencer," Mrs. Mabel breathed, wiping a tear from her cheek. "I fed him and changed his blanket."
Spencer turned to Charlee, kneeling down so he was at eye level with the brave little girl. "Charlee... did you really see Julian two nights ago?"
Charlee nodded earnestly. "I was sleeping under the plastic tarp behind the wall because it was dry. A big black car pulled up. A lady got out crying, holding the bundle. The man in the shiny shoes argued with her, snatched the bundle, put it inside a trash bag, and dropped it into the bin. He told her if she ever came back to Pinecrest, he'd make sure her family disappeared."
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Spencer’s chest burned with absolute fury. It was no longer just a suspicion. Julian had deliberately attempted to murder an infant—Spencer’s son—to secure his position as sole heir to the Warren financial empire.
"Mabel," Spencer said, standing up. "Pack bags for Dexter and Charlee. We aren't staying here tonight. We are going to St. Jude’s Hospital to see Florence, Charlee's grandmother. It's time to uncover every secret my father buried thirty years ago."
