Chapter 1
“Who promised her my son’s place?”
The child-sized signet ring sat in my palm while the entire lawn went silent.
Frank did not answer.
He looked toward the bodyguards.
That was worse.
I followed his eyes and saw two men near the terrace suddenly avoid mine. Men who had worked Savelli—no, Rossetti—security long enough to know that when my father looked frightened, everyone should start remembering what they had agreed to.
Leo was behind me now with my senior guard, still sobbing into the man’s jacket. Olivia stood beside the fallen prize rack staring at the ring as though she wished it had never appeared.
I crouched in front of her.
“Olivia.”
Her eyes filled.
“Did Grandpa give you this?”
She looked toward Frank.
He snapped, “Don’t involve the child.”
I turned my head.
“You involved her when you sized a Rossetti ring for her finger.”
His face hardened.
Olivia whispered:
“He said I get it when I prove I’m brave.”
Damon stopped breathing.
Interesting.
I looked at my brother.
“You knew about the ring?”
“No.”
Too quick.
Olivia continued before he could stop her.
“Dad said Leo cries too much to be next.”
The lawn seemed to shrink around us.
I stood slowly.
“Next to what?”
Nobody answered.
Then Leo spoke from behind me.
“Grandpa says bosses don’t cry.”
I looked at Frank.
My father had spent months teaching my four-year-old that fear could disqualify him from a position I had never even assigned.
I held up the ring.
“This wasn’t a birthday game.”
Frank finally met my eyes.
“No.”
At least that much was honest.
“What was it?”
He said nothing.
Olivia did.
“A test.”
And suddenly I understood why the bat had been allowed so close to my son’s head.
May you like
They had not been entertaining guests.
They had been creating a result.
