The Incredible Charlie Maxwell

CHAPTER 33

Charles Grant sat in the dining room of what used to be his mansion, staring at the foreclosure notice. The room was a grand, hollow echo of former glory: tall windows draped with heavy velvet curtains that had faded from deep crimson to a weary maroon, a long mahogany table polished to a dull shine, and a chandelier of cut crystal that still hung precariously from the ceiling, catching the winter sunlight and scattering it across the dust-laden parquet floor. Family portraits lined the walls. The official letterhead from First National Bank seemed to do the same, crisp and professional, a stark reminder that he had thirty days to vacate the property or face legal eviction.

"We can fix this," Claudia said, pacing behind him with manic energy that made the chandelier crystals tinkle with each heavy footstep. Her heels clacked on the floor like impatient metronomes. "We just need Charlie to reconsider the Claire Corporation deal. If he signs off on it, everything goes back to normal. Th