Ruby Gregory clenched her hands tightly, staring at the slightly white sky outside the window. Blinking her eyes, she spoke into the phone again, "That US$6,860,000 is yours, and I should give it back to you..."
Before the last word of Ruby's sentence was fully drawn out, Steve Burton abruptly hung up. Ruby's words stopped abruptly as well, and she listened to the busy tone coming from the receiver, which sounded empty and long, echoing the emptiness in her heart. There was an indescribable panic rapidly spreading and rolling within her.
Ruby held her phone, staring blankly for a while before regaining consciousness. She was afraid that Lady Gregory would come looking for her and see her in this dispirited state, so she took a deep breath, forced a smile on her lips, and walked back to the sickroom.
-
Steve hung up the phone and threw it without a second thought, smashing it directly onto a floor-standing vase across the room.
The vase shattered with a magnificent, hollow sound.
