Free Brie Discerns Master's Heart (After Graduation, #6) by Red Phoenix

ma’am.”
    Brie was pleased with the cautious way she had handled the exchange and eagerly tore open the manila envelope. Inside was another envelope, but it was addressed to Thane Davis. His name looked as if it had been written by a woman.
    A feeling of nausea came over Brie and she had to sit down. The letter must have come from his mother…
    Whatever was written in that letter might reveal the reason she was back. Brie was desperate to find out what it said, wanting to understand what kind of threat this woman posed to Sir.
    Brie stared at the envelope for a long time, part of her wanting to destroy it and part of her wanting to secretly read it. There was no part of her that wanted to present the note unopened to Sir, but that is exactly what she did.
    When Sir returned home an hour later, he came alone. Although he looked cross, he was no longer irate.
    Sir seemed relieved when he saw her sitting on the couch. “Whatever game she was playing, she ran off before I got there. Guess the threat of involving the police was enough.”
    Brie looked up at him, unable to hide her guilt.
    “What is it, Brie?”
    “A letter came while you were gone.”
    He looked at her apprehensively. “A letter?”
    “I knew better than to open the door, Sir, but I let the courier slip it under. It was addressed to me. I thought it was from Mr. Holloway.”
    “But…”
    “But when I opened it, there was a letter inside addressed to you.” She glanced at the envelope on the table.
    Sir looked at it in disgust and went to the kitchen. He came back and said, striking a match, “Whatever this is, it’s gone now.”
    Just before the flame touched the paper, Brie blurted, “But Sir, maybe this will tell you her motive. You said yourself that you can’t prepare to fight her until you know what it is.”
    Sir stopped and stared at the envelope, letting the match burn until it singed his fingers. He blew the match out and then set the letter back on the table.
    He sat down next to Brie. “The fact it’s here tells me two things. One, she knows where I live and two, she knows that you live here with me.”
    “I shouldn’t have signed for the letter, Sir. I’m sorry.” Brie bowed her head, feeling as if she had betrayed his trust.
    “It doesn’t matter. The only thing she learned from this little stunt is that you are an extremely trusting individual.” Sir sighed, glancing at the letter again. “Either this will tell me the real reason she wants contact and it will infuriate me, or this is a clever lie she’s concocted, which will infuriate me even more.” Sir rubbed his chin, trying to decide if he wanted to open Pandora’s box.
    Finally, he picked it up and ripped the envelope open. He unfolded the letter and glanced at it before throwing it down. “Bullshit!”
    Sir stormed out of the room. Brie hesitantly picked up the note to read it, and was shocked to see there were only five words.
    I am dying of cancer.
    Brie couldn’t believe it. She ran to the bedroom to comfort Sir, but he was still in an uncontrollable rage. When she entered the room, he shouted at her, “That bitch does not have cancer any more than I do!” His laughter was low and angry. “Oh, but isn’t she clever?”
    “But what if it is true, Sir?”
    He replied coldly, “I wouldn’t care. She should know that. This is her clever way of garnering other people’s sympathies. Look at the poor beast, dying of cancer while her son stands back and does nothing to help. Well, that’s exactly what I plan to do. She can rot in hell. In fact, I would prefer it.”
    Brie was taken aback by his wrath.
    Sir looked at her and snarled. “This is how she does it. She pits us against each other. She expects me to begin resenting you for giving me the letter, and for you to be horrified that I would react to such news with indifference.”
    Brie crossed the room and stood beside him, stating her support in words as well as with her proximity. “There is nothing