a's

ed to

she reserved for boardroom disasters and publi

With his arms crossed, eyes scanning the room like he was checking wh

ing to talk a

voice this time. "Do you have any idea what you're doing? Showing

what?" I asked. "

gone three da

sowned me in three seconds." I h

fix this quietly. No more press, no more scenes. Jus

ost l

and over my veil. The same home where my father had grabbed my arm hard

o sort," I said. "

ent, his presence alone doing more damage than anything he could have said.

ou ever offered

s expression shifted from parental

ight. Before it becomes someth

of them, really looked, the way you look at somethin

fell into step beside me without a word, his hand finding the small of

I don't have to look

*

r's pretense of showing concern that of course had nothing to do with my optics. I lay there for hours, staring at the ceiling, replaying m

ng, I'd made peace with one thin

time before dawn. Dominic's handwriting was exa

. 8:00 AM - Briefing

oment. Then I folded it, go

*

eady in th

er was spread across the marble. Physical copies, not digital

ook up when

ng you," he said, sliding one

oked at the papers. Our red

other went with 'Ava Hale's Revenge Play or Rebound Disaster?' A third

'm falling ap

mated people are the most dangerous ones in

h hands around the cup. "So what's the pla

ou carry yourself. How you speak in a boardroom. How you handle the press without fl

oardrooms my en

threat." He paused. "There's a di

. I didn't, becau

er to me acros

ened

page stopp

tamp on the photo was four years ago. Behind it were wire transfer records. Offshore accounts I had never seen, never audited, neve

ake before I even real

ng this file for ye

onfirmed. "

I didn't. A record of every shadow deal my father had ever made, documented

t a tool in

moment. Not cold. Not war

arpest tool I'

ave felt li

ehow it

*

ts, twelve racks of clothing, and a jewelry cas

. Different fabrics. Colors I'd never let myself wear before because I'd spent years trying to b

ettos that hit marble like a statement. They let my hair down. Actually down, w

d at th

recogni

e I looked

e version of myself I'd been suppressing for

something insid

uzzed on the co

nknown numb

ked i

hat made the hair on the

gned. Walk away bef

red a

the assistants was holding up earrings. The room wa

hell. I w

dy knew about

ion wasn'

stion w