“Brandon, there will be an inspection of the houses assigned to staff tomorrow, so please inform the residents of the employee block,” the manager said casually.
Nobody was eating anymore, and Charlotte began to turn pale. Then, through the window, we saw a sedan stop in front of the residence next door, and my father stepped out of the vehicle. Brandon got up immediately from the table.
“Excuse me for a moment,” Brandon said as he walked outside to meet him.
My father handed him some documents and spoke to him briefly, while Brandon responded with the natural respect of someone who has worked for a family for many years. Zachary observed the entire interaction through the window.
“Is that gentleman your business partner?” Zachary asked when Brandon returned to the room.
“No, that is Mr. Douglas Shepherd, and I have worked for his family for twelve years,” Brandon confessed, taking a deep breath.
“Brandon, please…” Charlotte squeezed his arm in panic.
“It is too late, Charlotte,” he said quietly.
My cell phone rang on the table at that exact moment. It was my mother, so I answered it on speaker.
“Yes, Mom, I will check with Dad about the project tomorrow, so do not worry,” I said into the phone.
When I hung up, everyone was still staring at me in absolute shock. Brandon lowered his head and spoke to me almost reflexively.
“Ms. Abigail, if you need me to take your parents to the meeting tomorrow, I am completely available,” he offered politely.
Nobody uttered a word in the entire room. Zachary slowly placed his glass on the table and looked between us.
“I think I understand who is lying here, but I still do not understand who you actually are,” Zachary said directly to me.
PART 3
“Everyone is making a mountain out of a molehill here, because Brandon works with many people and that does not mean he lacks his own investments,” Charlotte said with a strained smile, reacting first.
“Charlotte, please stop, not anymore,” Brandon looked at her as if he had just heard something that hurt him deeply.
She remained completely motionless, as I had never seen Brandon speak so harshly before. He was a patient man who always preferred explaining things rather than arguing.
“Not what anymore?” she asked in a trembling voice.
“Stop making things up to these people,” Brandon replied firmly.
The silence became unbearable for everyone present.
“I am a driver, and I have worked for the Shepherd family for twelve years,” Brandon confessed while taking a deep breath. “This house belongs to Shepherd Enterprises, and they assigned it to us because of my seniority. The truck belongs to the company, I am not a developer, I do not have any rich partners, and I never told you that the family’s projects were mine.”
“But you used to take me to high profile events,” Charlotte said with moist eyes.
“Because I was working those nights,” he explained softly.
“You would go into important business meetings,” she argued.
“Because I was escorting Mr. Douglas inside,” he clarified.
“You knew so many important people,” she insisted.
“Because I would pick them up, wait for them, or open the car door for them,” he answered directly.
Each answer tore away another piece of the fake life she had built in front of us. Justin did not know where to look anymore, staring blankly at his hands. Zachary, on the other hand, spoke up calmly.
“So, about you getting us a ticket into Shepherd Enterprises…” Zachary questioned.
“I thought maybe he could talk to someone there,” Charlotte answered hastily.
“With whom?” Zachary asked. “Two days ago you said you knew the owners because you were on their level.”
“I know the family because I work hard for them, and I am proud of my job since I have never been ashamed to admit it,” Brandon said, shaking his head.
That phrase changed the atmosphere completely because the problem was not that Brandon was a driver, but that Charlotte had considered his job too small to tell the truth. She started to cry heavily right there.
“I did not mean to put you down,” she sobbed.
“Every time you said my work was not good enough to brag about, that is exactly what you did,” Brandon said, looking at her sadly.
Charlotte covered her mouth in shame while Samantha squeezed my hand under the table. I still chose to remain silent.
“Abigail, I need to ask you directly, what is your relationship with Shepherd Enterprises?” Zachary turned his gaze towards me.
“It is my family’s company,” I answered truthfully, as continuing to avoid it would have been absurd.
“Your family’s company? How is that possible?” Justin let out a small, nervous laugh.
“My father founded it thirty years ago, and I am the deputy general manager in charge of real estate expansion,” I stated calmly.
“Shepherd Enterprises? The one with the industrial parks and the major developments?” Zachary turned pale.
“That exact one,” I confirmed.
“And yesterday I sat you all the way in the back by the column?” Justin looked up slowly.
