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At least he used my name.
I sit up, Logan’s stare prickling on my neck. I resist the urge to adjust my collar to hide my scar, choosing instead to grit my teeth before I speak. I shouldn’t say anything. I know I shouldn’t. I’m mad that Logan gets a gold star for showing up to work two hours late while I get a slap on the wrist for making my father a billionaire. I’m resentful and bitter, and I hate the way my father’s lips twitch whenever he’s forced to look at me.
I feel his disgust like an oily film on my skin. I see the look in his eyes that says he’d prefer it if I’d died in the fire, rather than have to look at my imperfect body for the rest of his life. The weight of his expectations makes me small.
But I could hand him the biggest deal of the company’s history if I bring Reginald Donovan in. I could use the information Penelope let slip and become my father’s favorite son. If I find out what he’s planning in Nord, I could deliver the killing blow to Donovan Enterprises, ensuring he’s swallowed up in our family’s company without so much as a word of protest.
If I open my mouth and speak, I can show my father I’m worthy of being his son. I’m better than Logan at this. I deserve to take over when Father retires.
I don’t owe Penelope anything. What happened at Prince Gabriel’s wedding was a blip. A mistake. A moment in time. That feeling I thought I felt? The connection? It was lust, that’s all.
This, right here, is my life, and I’m not going to let Logan take over the business I helped build. My shoulders straighten as I nod. “Donovan is looking to expand into Nord.” Every word feels like a stone sinking into a still pool, causing ripples to spread out, out, out. My fingernails dig into my palm to scatter the image.
Father frowns, two deep lines appearing between his brows. He leans forward, and I love the way he waits for me to speak. He knows this is important.
“I’m not sure what he’s planning yet, but it’s big. It’s giving him enough confidence that he’ll be able to keep the shareholders on his side and refuse our merger. Whatever he’s planning in Nord has got to be in the hundreds of millions.”
My father’s eyebrows twitch, a faint trace of approval in his eyes. Ignoring the hot spear piercing my chest that feels a bit too much like shame, I hold his gaze. I know this information is new to him, and I know no one else could have discovered it.
“And you’re sure about this?” my father asks, his praise for Logan forgotten. Father’s eyes are on me, with no trace of disgust. No flick to my scar. No sign that I’m anything less than the son who made his company what it is.
I dip my chin. “Positive.”
“How do you know?” Logan asks, his voice sounding a lot like a whine. I know my father pits us against each other every chance he gets, but I can’t quite resist the urge to play along.
Triumphant, I swing my eyes to my brother. “I have contacts.”
“And you trust this information.” Father drums his fingers on his desk, tilting his head in a slightly predatory way as he stares at me. He can smell Donovan’s blood now. He knows we’re close.
“I’d bet my life on it.” After all, it was the Queen’s own mouth that spoke the words. If anyone in Nord would know the value of the land, it’s her.
My father leans back in his chair, brows tugging together. “What is he planning?”
“That, I’m not sure. I’d like to go to Nord to find out. I could leave this week.”
My father’s frown deepens. “You want to go yourself? What about your responsibilities here in Farcliff?”
“This could be big, Father. Bigger than any other deal we’ve done.” It’s the truth, too. The merger with Donovan Enterprises is significant—but if it came with new prospects to expand in Nord? Massive.
There’s another reason I’d like to go to Nord, but I can’t tell my father or Logan. A blond, blue-eyed beauty with a crown nestled in her hair. A woman I’d kill to see again—but who says that’s going to happen even if I do go to Nord? It’s not like I can walk into the castle to say hello. Does a queen even have a cell phone?
Wanting to see Penelope again—it’s a silly fantasy. I know that. It doesn’t mean it isn’t pulling me toward Nord. My more reasonable motivation is needing to find out what Donovan is doing. That could pay off in a big way. That’s why I want to go to Nord. Not the Queen. At least that’s what I tell myself as I sit in my father’s office.
My father tents his fingers. He’s not thinking of a stupid newspaper article, or the way Logan’s pretty green eyes sparkle when they’re on the cover of a magazine. Father’s thinking about me, and how much money I can make him if I go to Nord.
“You might spook Donovan if you show up in Nord,” Logan says, scowling.
I know I shouldn’t hate my brother. I don’t hate him, exactly. It’s just…he’s been given everything. He’s treated with respect. He has this entire company—a company I helped build—headed his way, and for what? Because he takes a good picture? In the logical corners of my mind, I know it should be my father I resent. He’s the one who makes me feel small, who pits me against my brother, who sends me off to do his dirty work. When I look at Logan, though, I can’t help the anger that threads through my heart. The unfairness of it all—all the love and attention and worship he gets for being whole. Healthy. For being fucking beautiful.
I shrug. “Spooking him might be exactly what we need to do. If I show up in Nord while he’s there, he’ll know he has no choice but to accept our deal. He’s got nowhere else to turn.”
Father grunts in approval. “Asher’s right.” His eyes swing to me. “Go.”
Pushing myself off the chair, I throw my brother a dark glance before walking toward the door.
Father’s deep voice makes me pause. “Asher,” he calls out, and I turn. “Good work.” Satisfaction fills his eyes, and he can taste the thrill of the victory on the tip of his tongue. He knows we have Donovan on the run, and whatever I find out in Nord will make us even richer.
I nod, accepting his praise as if it were water and I’ve been walking through the desert for days. I gulp it down desperately, trying to hide how much it affects me. I turn my back on my father and brother and slip out through the door, only letting my shoulders drop when I’m well out of sight.
