pte

ut the whispers still

her chin held high. On the surface, she was poised.... her gown still immaculat

. A place where her dreams had been paraded in front of her....

it was done by someone she had

she didn't need their pity, definitely not their pity. Becau

y. They didn't have to. Their sil

?" their eyes

you o

u been r

not be go

em. She Stood tall with her shoulders back, her chest open, and her spine strai

g not to stare. Past a photographer who had clear

longtime family friend whose affection

arp, like a knife dipped in honey. "Darl

en unpredictable.," her voice came out smooth and clear, without hesitation. "Tha

to respond. Mia didn't wait for her to

t. Her heels clicked against the p

tanding in the bones of her own celebration... glittering lights dimmed, empty champagne flutes s

d her. She didn't have to tur

an it had been all evening. Like he

her face unreadable

d. "Can

a word. Of course he'd want to talk. Do a damage

of generations who had built their wealth brick by brick...

The room was warm with amber light, lined with towering b

different. It felt sm

of his desk. "I didn't mean

used on him. "You didn't mean for it to happen at al

t looked at her.... the way a CEO l

he said finally. "I just.

s short, humorless, mocking. Wha

hday. My event. The event you specifically told me to

o be about you. It was about t

aced the second he walked into your life?" She watched him with glaring eyes. She was done being th

d speak, the door

head up as Ethan stepped in like he wasn't sure he should be h

he air in the room. Not because he did

ne straightening, her expression har

like he expected her to pull out a gun, and point it to

from her to Samuel. "I wasn't su

Isn't it obvious? N

.... a little softer and welcom

lost her mom and crying in the garden. He had told her to go inside and read t

wed her tears and went to

handed over to a man

ught now would be a good time

associates. Like this wasn't the most

ocked onto E

yes. The same jawline. The same nose. Ther

wisted into someone else

"Mia," he said gently. "It's good to

king on ice. He looked sincere.... but that d

stood. The way he fidgeted slightly, unsure

make her feel

of the chair behind her. "How long have yo

tion. "A while," he admitted. "I jus

until the camer

rrupted, his voice

ather" The word father taste

e that felt louder

didn't ask for this. I didn't come

Mia cut in sharply. "You s

fell

oth over the jagged edges with another carefully worded explanatio

n tell me, who's the one being

silence sai

She had walked into this room hoping..... foolishly.... that maybe there would be s

.and the brother she never knew existed.... Mia underst

dsided her. He had dethrone

pretending she

slowly, eyes narrowed,

aid, "but you're not my brother." E

e for some time now," he said, his voice as steady and calm as though he were reporting quarterly earnings to the

ch for her. They all knew the 'sometime' he was referring to meant several years.

d. Correct me if I'm wrong. The 'right moment' is when you decided on your only daughter's birthday, that she wasn't good enough to t