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Devereaux doesn’t wait for me to respond. His footsteps echo softly out in the hallway until they disappear altogether. The place is big enough where we wouldn’t have to see each other at all if needed.
Wondering why he would want me out there for, I walk to the bathroom to wash my face. I am hoping that he’s calling me to discuss where I could go and how I could recover my money. Not having financial stability eats at me with each hour that passes.
I take a moment to stare at myself in the mirror. My hair is a tangled mess, my face is blotchy in places. I am still wearing Hawk’s hoodie, although at least I took the time to spot clean it. And I did take a shower this morning, so I don’t stink. That’s sort of progress, right?
My cheeks look a bit hollow. I’m not sure if it is caused by how tired my body is, or if I actually lost weight in such a short period of time. Stress could do that to you, I suppose.
I take a deep breath in before letting it all out. When done, I don’t feel any better than before, but I brace myself for what’s to come.
I make my way out of the bedroom, realizing with a start that the house sounds busier somehow. I don’t see any extra people, and I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s just a gut feeling.
When I enter the living area, I look around, expecting to see more than just Devereaux sitting on the couch, waiting patiently for me.
“Ah, Miss Santiago, I appreciate your promptness.”
I don’t have the energy to smile. I only nod and take a seat across from him.
“It dawned on me that I missed your birthday yesterday,” he says. “You have my deepest apologies for it.”
My eyes widen in shock. No one has ever celebrated my birthday in my life. I was in middle school when I realized that was a thing that people did.
“How do you know yesterday was my birthday?”
“Miss Santiago, I know more about you than anyone you’ve ever known, your parents included.”
I roll my eyes and look away. “That’s not hard to do. My parents never cared about me.”
“That is my understanding as well,” he agrees.
When he doesn’t say anything more, it becomes uncomfortable.
“Well, thank you for your well wishes, Mr. Devereaux. I…” My voice shakes a little. “I appreciate it. A lot.”
He nods and gives me a kind smile.
“Twenty-two is a big deal. And it deserves a present.”
“A present?” I sound incredulous. I’m not sure what’s happening, or why.
Devereaux picks up an elegant looking envelope from the coffee table sitting in between us. I didn’t even notice it there. With another nod toward me, he encourages me to take it from him.
I start shaking from head to toe when I reach out and grab it. My hands are clammy, and I worry that I will ruin the beautiful envelope.
“It’s just paper,” Devereaux comments when he notices my hesitation.
I break the seal and look inside, only to find a bunch of documents neatly stapled together. Glancing at him for approval, I pull them out. I turn them over and stare, unable to make sense of the words I’m reading.
My lack of education hits me hard right now, and I want to cry. I don’t know what any of these big words mean. The only ones I am comfortable with are the ones spelling my name, I know that much.
“Miss Santiago,” Devereaux intervenes when he sees I’m not saying anything. “I have been in contact with your financial advisor. I took it upon myself to have all your funds transferred to my own personal firm that I deal with. They will make sure to invest it all for maximum profitability.”
I stare at him with wide eyes and dry mouth. It’s crazy that he was able to do everything without me signing even one piece of paper of consent.
“On page six of the document, you should find the total amount you currently have. Of course, should you wish to cash it all out, it is your choice.”
He waits for me to get to page six. My eyes look over the top of the page before they drop to the bottom. The number I see on there can’t be right.
“You did very well in saving your money,” he praises. “I took the liberty of adding to it. You will find that the dividends coming from the investments will provide for a very comfortable living for you.”
