“You’re right.”
*Dominic gave a small nod, relief flickering in his eyes. “Good,” he said, “Now we need to focus on what’s next”
What now?” I asked, my tone resigned.
“We need to handle the funeral first,” he explained, his tone shifting back to its usual businesslike demeanor. “And the press. Once word gets out that Grandpa’s cone, the company’s going to be in chaos for a while. They’re going to want answers about you taking over as head of the family.”
blinked, the weight of his words settling over me. “Head of the family,” 1 echoed, the title feeling foreign and heavy on my tongue.
Donde stepped closer, his voice firm but reassuring. “You’ll have me by your side, Raina. I’ll protect you, guide you, whatever you need. But you need to step up now. For the family, for the company, for Grandpa’s legacy.”
I nodded slowly, my mind racing with everything that needed to be done. “And Nathan Lasked, my voice barely above a whisper.
2/3
“After the hateral,” Dominic said firmly. “We deal with him after the humeral One thing time.”
s the stairs, trafled out, “Dom, walt,”
Dominic turned to leave, but before he could disappear upt
He stoppedinkd–step and tomed back to
„his expression calm bot clearly weighed down by everything that ha
(had luppened..
“1. I’m sorry,” Istammered, my voice catching. “per stapping at you caller. I know you’re only trying In do what’s best, even if I don’t always agree with how you go about it. Thank ven for being the logical one in all this.”
A small, almost imperceptible smile softened his face. “Amething for you, Baina,” he said simply, histone graine
with that, he started to follow Faith upstates, who passed to give me a pointed look “Wouterdio get some rest,” she said firmly before disappearing with him.
Let alone in the silence of the living room, I sank onto the coach, my body heavy with exhaustion. Asitled to gather methoughts, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Ipolled it out, and my chest tightened when saw the name on the screen.
Why was be calling now? And this late? Mtemind raced with possibilites. There was no way he knew about Grandpa–pot yet. So what did he want?
I stared at the phone as it burred insistently in my hand before silencing itselt, aty thumb hovered over the call log, debating whether to call back, but couldn’t bring myself to do it. Instead, I shoved the phone into my pocket and trudged upstales.
|Once in my room. 1 grabbed my phone again, this time dialing Ales. The line barely rang before he answered.
This voice came through, steady and calm. “Everything okay?”
“Where are the loaded, cutting straight to the point
There was a brief pause before he replied, “I wasn’t supposed to let anyone know until things settle down, but.. they’re safe. You don’t have to worry. I’ll let you speak to them as much as you want.”
His reassitance eased some of the tension in my chest, but not all of it. “Thank you,” I murmured.
e’s everything on your end?” Alex asked, his tone dipping with concem. “How’s Grandpa?”
The question hit me like a punch to the gut, and the tears I’d been holding back all night finally broke free. “He’s gone,” I whispered, my voice cracking
Alex didn’t respond immediately, but the silence on his end was heavy with understanding “I’m so sorry, Raina,” he said softly.
Holdn’t handle any more, so I ended the call without another word and collapsed onto the bed.
was a harsh reminder that life was moving forwant
| didn’t even remember falling asleep, but when moming came, the sunlight streaming through my window w whether I wanted to or not
Downstain, the house was alive with activity. Valors filled the air, phones were ringing, and the atmosphere was thick with urgency
What’s going on?” I asked, stepping into the living
Faith ended her call and tumed to me. “Grandma wants the funeral done tomorrow,” she explained. “she wants it to be quiet and simple.”
I frowned, my brows king together. “That’s not going to happen. The media’s going to be all over it. They always are.
- Faith sighed, dearly just as exasperated as I was. Before either of us could say more, Adelaide appeared in the doorway, her presence as unwelcome as ever
“Someone’s here to see you,” she announced, her tone dripping with that faux sweetness I’d grown to detest
e replied, her lips curving into a sly smile.
My heart sank, and my stomach chumed with a mix of dread and frustration. Of course, it was him.
