“You think you have won, Valerie?” she spat, her voice trembling.

“You are a maid.”

“You don’t know the first thing about running a multi-billion-dollar corporation.”

“The board will destroy you.”

I stopped and looked her in the eyes.

“I know how to manage this house, Miranda,” I said.

“And I know how to manage the people in it.”

“You are dismissed.”

Her face turned a deep, furious red as security escorted her out of the room.

We walked into the quiet of the private library, shutting the heavy doors behind us.

Thomas was waiting there, looking out the frost-covered window.

“You did well, Julian,” Thomas said, turning around.

“But the hard part is just beginning.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, setting the ledger on the mahogany desk.

Thomas walked over to me and reached into his coat pocket.

He pulled out a thick, square envelope made of heavy black paper.

“This was delivered to my hotel room this morning,” Thomas said.

“It has your name on it, Valerie.”

I took the envelope.

It was sealed with a drop of hard black wax.