I stared at the message and let out a cold laugh.
"Thomas, have you forgotten what you said when we prayed for that necklace?"
Lily had been frail and sickly from the day she was born.
Thomas was the one who took me to the chapel to pray for a lucky charm necklace.
But the priest said Lily was marked by too much illness and misfortune, and refused to bless one for her.
We knelt and bowed our way up all 999 steps, one for every prayer, before the priest finally relented.
And now he wanted to take his own daughter's blessed necklace and pin it on that bastard child at a banquet.
Thomas went quiet for a moment, then spoke again, just as resolute.
"Bring it."
I bit down on my lip until I tasted copper.
"And if I don't?"
A careless laugh drifted through the receiver.
"Then I'll come get it myself."
"Douglas still needs Lily's bone marrow anyway. I'll collect both tomorrow."
I froze, then lost all control.
"You heartless bastard! She's your own flesh and blood!"
"I will never give in! The necklace and my daughter, you're not taking either one!"
Silence on the other end.
When he spoke again, his voice had gone ice-cold.
"I'll bring the Gilbert security detail with me. Try me."
The line went dead.