the library like a hurricane in an Armani suit. I don't

," he announces, voic

react. Daniel Hayes. Now there's a name I hadn't expe

g my tone as flat and u

feel the manic energy radiating off him as he plops his designer clad ass rig

natching my book away. I resist the urge to s

er scheme he's cooked up this time. "Should

opping to a conspiratorial whispe

sometime around my tenth birthday. I tense up, ready to tell him ex

Just

dress. She closes the door behind her with a soft click

she says, her voice sweet a

ps a hand on my shoulder, pinning me in pl

couch, defeated. "Yo

f innocence, which immediately sets off warning bells in my head. My sister hasn't bee

ed," Sophia says,

yself for whatever brand of in

ry, we have an opportunity if we move fast," Sophia beg

s out of your mouth had better not be that we should take this chance

"What, are

lso not suicidal. And that taunt st

und that would be charming if I didn

d and tell me," I growl,

innocent and distracted, but I know it's just another one of her tricks. "The Morgan daughter, th

d. "I hadn't heard anyth

ays, her smile widenin

oing with this. "It sounds like the girl dodged a bullet," I s

lly. "Most definitely.

nd my stomach drops. Whatever they're abo

lliance with the Morgan family," L

my face as the implication

you on your impending nuptials," I f

ly further. "Actually, we'r

mble for an out, any out. "What about Umberto?" I blurt

k, their smiles growing wider, an

obably meant to be comforting but just makes my skin crawl. "You know as w

in partying and blowing through his trust fund than any

unable to keep the bitt

mart one, Roberto. The levelheaded one. The one w

dropping to a stage whisper, "y

that. "Flattery wi

t," Liam chuckles. "It's go

yself and my conniving siblings. I pace over to the firepla

you, Liam? Or you, Sophia? You're both older and more estab

ow why, Roberto. I'm damaged goods in the eyes of

ticular scandal had been ugly,

ard. The Morgans would never trust me with thei

I can't keep the skep

th the clean record and the good reputation. The one who actually

pectable. Trustworthy. The

ve always been the responsible one, the one who tried to stay above the fray of family politi

" I ask, already k

is heavy, loaded with uns

finally, his voice unch

t's at stake," Sophia

pressing down on my shoulders. The family legacy, the empire

of yours?" I ask though I'm pret

am says, "onc

ressions, the mix of hope and calculation in their e

alizing I don't even know her na

ork those out later. The important thing is to ma

g me. "You make it sound like we're talkin

am counters, ra

ness, personal choice – those are luxuries for other people. For us, ever

ith a heavy sigh. "You really think this is nece

d Sophia exchang

brother," Sophia says gently. "Things are... no

f we fuck it up,"

y we were raised to hate," I say, turning back to face my siblings. The ridiculou

hose loaded looks that make me want to th

naturally melancholy. He pauses, and it's lik

it into the flames. But come on, it would be a horrible waste, because if there's one thing a Connolly never does, it's squander good wine.

ts. The person knows us better than we know ourselves, which is pretty messed up if you think about it. I learned that lesson the hard way when I was still naive enough to think there was some other life out th

weight of their expectations, Father's demands, and this whole messed-up situation is crushing me. Every breath I breathe seems like I'm breathing their damn legacy, choking on it. I need to get out, cle

t I do, I'm always going to be exactly what they want me to