"Mr. Hayes," the lawyer whispered, his voice shaking. "This is... this is a medical proxy and an updated power of attorney executed three months ago. Fully notarized."
Richard's jaw dropped. "That's impossible. I have her medical proxy."
"She revoked it," the lawyer said, swallowing hard. "This document grants full authority over her medical decisions, living arrangements, and end-of-life care to Sadie Miller."
The room went dead silent. The only sound was the rain lashing against the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Richard stared at Sadie, his eyes wide with a mixture of horror and fury. "You manipulated a senile old woman into giving you control of her estate! This is extortion!"
"I don't have control of her money, you idiot!" Sadie fired back, tossing the marble weight onto the desk. It landed with a heavy, definitive thud. "She left the company to you. Congratulations! You got your spreadsheets! But you don't get her!"
Sadie walked over to the desk, snatched the folder from the trembling lawyer, and shoved it into her cheap canvas backpack.
"She knew you were going to try and lock her away," Sadie said, zipping the bag closed. "She knew you couldn't stand looking at her because she reminded you that money doesn't make you immortal. So, she gave me the keys to the cage."
Sadie walked toward the door. She stopped just in front of Richard, invading his space, just as he had done to her months ago. She smelled his expensive vetiver cologne; it smelled like fear.
"She's staying in the city," Sadie whispered, her voice like grinding stones. "She's staying in her home. And if you try to move her, I will take this document to every predatory tabloid in the state and tell them exactly how Richard Hayes treats the woman who built his empire. Do you understand me?"
Richard didn't answer. He couldn't. His throat worked silently, his face flushed purple with rage.
Sadie didn't wait for a response. She turned and walked out the frosted glass doors, her heavy boots echoing in the silent hallway.
The hospital room smelled intensely of iodine and bleached linen. It was a private suite, massive and silent, but beneath the veneer of luxury, it was still just a place where people waited to die.