I looked through the conference room windows.
Chicago glittered beneath the night sky.
The wedding was only forty-eight hours away.
My phone suddenly vibrated.
A message from my father appeared.
For once, try not to ruin your sister’s big day. Stay in the background. Don’t speak to anyone important. Do not embarrass us.
I gripped the phone so tightly that the screen cracked slightly beneath my thumb.
They were still afraid I might embarrass them.
They had no idea what was already approaching.
“Lock the files, Marcus,” I whispered, my voice devoid of any warmth. “Secure the servers. I’m going to a wedding.”
Marcus looked alarmed.
“Emma, if Mercer is there…” Marcus started, his eyes wide with concern.
“I know,” I replied, standing up and straightening my jacket. “I just hope my sister enjoyed her reign. Because the crown is about to drop.”
And when I arrived at the Grand Langdon Hotel two days later, I discovered that Vanessa had prepared a very public humiliation for me.
