Chapter 1 - THE MAN MY FATHER KNEW BY REPUTATION
Luca did not look at my father first.
He looked at me.
More specifically, at the dark red stain running down the front of my ivory dress.
His expression did not change dramatically.
That was what made him frightening.
Luca Vance never needed to raise his voice when he was angry.
He simply became still.
Very still.
He crossed the ballroom while the orchestra fell silent behind him.
The four men in dark suits remained near the exits, not blocking anyone, simply observing.
My father’s face had gone pale.
“Mr. Vance,” Arthur said.
Luca stopped beside me.
“Arthur.”
My mother blinked.
Chloe looked between us.
Marcus Reed, the groom’s father, had already risen from his chair.
“Luca,” he said carefully. “I didn’t realize you were attending.”
“I wasn’t invited.”
Then Luca looked at me again.
“Neither, apparently, was my wife treated like family.”
The ballroom changed.
Not loudly.
Almost physically.
Three hundred people seemed to inhale at once.
My mother’s smile disappeared.
Chloe stared at my left hand.
I had worn my wedding ring for four years.
Simple platinum.
No oversized stone.
No display.
My family had apparently never cared enough to ask what it meant.
Dad laughed once.
Nervously.
“Your wife?”
Luca slipped off his jacket and placed it around my shoulders, covering the wine stain.
“Yes.”
Mom stood.
“Jessi, what is he talking about?”
I looked at her.
“My husband.”
“You’re married?”
“Four years.”
Chloe’s mouth opened.
“Four years?”
“Yes.”
Dad recovered first.
He always did.
His voice hardened.
“This is ridiculous.”
Luca turned toward him.
“What part?”
“You expect us to believe Jessi is married to you?”
Several people shifted uncomfortably.
Luca glanced at me.
“Should I be offended for myself or for her?”
No one laughed.
Dad took one step forward.
“I know who you are.”
“I’m aware.”
“I’ve represented companies larger than yours.”
Luca’s expression remained calm.
“Not recently.”
That landed.
Hard.
Dad’s law firm had spent months trying to win advisory work from Vance Global.
I knew because Luca had shown me the proposals.
I also knew something Arthur didn’t.
He had personally signed three letters trying to secure Luca as a client.
Luca had rejected all three.
Dad’s eyes narrowed.
“Is this some kind of stunt?”
I finally spoke.
“No.”
“Then why hide it?”
I looked around the ballroom.
At Aunt Patricia.
At Kelly.
At Mom.
At Chloe.
At people who had spent dinner laughing while Dad described my life as a warning.
“Because I wanted one part of my life that none of you could make smaller.”
Silence.
Mom looked wounded.
“You excluded us from your wedding?”
I almost smiled.
“You mean the way Chloe seated me next to the kitchen?”
Chloe flushed.
“That wasn’t personal.”
“Neither was the wine?”
Dad snapped, “Enough.”
Luca turned.
“No.”
One word.
Arthur stopped.
Luca continued.
“You embarrassed my wife in front of nearly three hundred people. You poured wine on her because she tried to leave quietly.”
Dad’s jaw tightened.
“This is a family matter.”
Luca looked at the guests.
“You made it public.”
That was when Marcus Reed stepped forward.
“Maybe we should all calm down.”
Luca looked at him.
And for the first time, Marcus seemed nervous.
“Actually,” Luca said, “you should probably stay.”
Marcus froze.
Flynn, Chloe’s new husband, frowned.
“Dad?”
Marcus ignored him.
I looked at Luca.
He had not told me why he brought security.
I had assumed it was because of the scene.
Now I knew better.
“Luca.”
He met my eyes.
“What happened?”
He paused.
Then said quietly:
“Your father’s firm tried to access confidential Vance Global acquisition files this afternoon.”
Every muscle in my body tightened.
Dad stared at him.
“That is a lie.”
Luca looked back at Arthur.
“No.”
He nodded toward one of the men in dark suits.
The man opened a thin black folder.
Luca continued.
“And the access came from a credential assigned to you.”
The ballroom went dead silent.
May you like
Then Marcus Reed whispered:
“Arthur, what did you do?”
