The drive to the Hamptons usually took two hours, but the Maynard helicopter made it in thirty minutes. Elayne sat beside Calhoun, the roar of the rotors a convenient excuse for the chasm of silence between them. She clutched a gift bag on her lap-a rare vintage scotch for Theodore and a silk scarf for her stepmother-in-law, Judith. A peace offering. A desperate bid for inclusion.
They landed on the sprawling lawn of the Maynard estate. Mrs. Gable, the housekeeper who had known the Maynards for decades, opened the heavy oak door.
"Mr. Calhoun. Mrs. Maynard," Mrs. Gable said. Her face was impassive. She didn't step aside to let Elayne in immediately, nor did she reach for the heavy bag Elayne was holding.
"Hello, Mrs. Gable." Calhoun strode past them both without a second glance. Elayne squeezed past her.
The sound of silverware clinking against china drifted from the dining room. They had started without them.
Elayne walked into the dining room. The chandelier was dimmed, casting a warm glow over the family that didn't include her. Theodore sat at the head, Judith at the foot. Conrad and his sister, Bianca, were on one side.
"Oh, Elayne," Judith exclaimed, her voice dripping with artificial surprise. She didn't stand up. "We thought you and Calhoun were still at the office. Wrapping up the... transition."
Elayne saw the empty setting at the far end of the table. The spot usually reserved for unexpected guests or children. She walked over, her heels clicking loudly on the hardwood, and sat down.
"I'm here," Elayne's expression said quietly.
In the center of the table sat a massive platter of Alaskan King Crab legs, steamed and glistening with butter.
"Ugh," Bianca sighed, holding up her hands. Her nails were freshly done, painted a soft, milky pink. "I can't believe Cook made crab. I just got a manicure. I can't peel these."
Theodore lowered his fork. He looked down the length of the table, his gaze landing heavily on Elayne.
"Elayne," he said. It wasn't a question. "Help your sister-in-law. You have nimble hands."
Elayne froze. She looked at her father-in-law, then at the crab, then back at him. She had dissected threats to national security with these hands. She had sutured wounds in the dark. Now they were being requisitioned for seafood.
Conrad snorted, taking a sip of his wine. "Don't be so sensitive, Elayne. You used to help the staff arrange the table settings all the time when you first arrived. What's the difference?"
"The difference is I'm twenty-six years old and the asset who just saved this family's fortune," Elayne thought, though her face remained a blank canvas.
"Technically," Judith interjected, slicing a piece of asparagus, "Conrad is the Director now. And besides, Bianca's hands are for piano and socializing. Yours are... well, they're used to being idle, aren't they?"
The insult was so casual, so practiced. Elayne felt the sting of tears in her eyes, hot and sudden. But she wouldn't cry. Not here. Not in front of them.
She reached out and grabbed a crab leg. The shell was spiky and hard. She didn't ask for the cracker. She just used her thumbs, digging into the calcified armor.
Crack.
A sharp spine of the shell sliced into her thumb. A drop of bright red blood welled up. Elayne quickly wiped it on her napkin before anyone could see, hiding the pain. She pulled the white meat out and placed it on Bianca's plate.
Bianca didn't say thank you. She just picked up the meat, dipped it in butter, and popped it into her mouth.
"So," Conrad said, leaning back. "Are we all set for the Debutante Gala tomorrow? The press is going to be insane for my 'coming out' as the new face of Chimera."
Elayne looked at Calhoun, nursing her throbbing thumb. He hadn't said a word, his focus entirely on his plate. His silence was the loudest condemnation in the room.
The table went quiet. Judith took a long sip of water.
Then, a different topic arose, one far more chilling.
"Calhoun, your ticket for the gala," Judith said, putting the glass down. "I gave your plus-one to Conrad's new girlfriend. We didn't think Elayne would want to come. It's going to be so... loud. And you've been under so much pressure."
Elayne dropped the crab cracker. It hit her plate with a loud clatter.
"Judith," Theodore warned, frowning at the noise. "Table manners."
"You gave away my ticket?" Elayne's eyes shot to Calhoun, her voice a silent scream. "To a stranger?"
"She's not a stranger, she's a model," Conrad said, grinning.
Elayne took a deep breath, her stomach twisting into a knot. She looked at Calhoun, waiting for him to intervene, to correct this blatant disrespect. He met her gaze for a fleeting second, then looked away, a micro-expression of cold finality on his face. It was the look of a CEO cutting a failed asset.
Bianca and Judith exchanged a look. It was quick, a micro-expression of shared amusement, but Elayne caught it. It was the look of two people who knew a joke that the victim didn't.
"Who knows," Bianca said, smiling over the rim of her glass. "Maybe it's for the best."
A cold chill settled in Elayne's gut, overriding the heat of the room. This wasn't just a slight. The stolen project, the ticket, the look from Calhoun. This was a coordinated dismissal.
"Excuse me," Elayne thought, her mind clear and sharp. She stood up.
"Sit down," Theodore said. "We have family business to discuss. Regarding the trust funds."
"I think I'll go," Elayne communicated with her actions. She turned and walked out of the dining room, ignoring Theodore's command.
She walked out the front door into the cool night air. She didn't have a car, no keys to jingle. She was a gilded prisoner. She walked toward the guest house at the edge of the property, the place she called her own. She looked back at the main house. The windows were glowing with warmth, a perfect picture of a happy family.
She pulled out her phone and checked the encrypted app again. Still nothing. She opened a secure browser. She searched for Calhoun's public schedule.
He was listed as the keynote speaker at a private tech summit. Out of town.
He had blocked her from his life, both publicly and privately.
Elayne gripped the phone, her knuckles white. "Okay," she whispered to the empty night. "If you won't tell me the truth, I'll go find it."
