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Elsa looked at me in query, and I shook my head. I couldn't tell her anything about the work I'd done with Dom. It was classified, andit was also none of her damn business.
She seemed even more uneasy now.
"Elsa,ma chérie," a matronly woman descended upon us. The woman whose name I didn't register kissed Elsa and dragged her away. I had no choice but to let her go because I wanted to keep my eye on Dom.
As the evening progressed, I stood near one of the elegantly draped tables, my eyes scanning the crowd. Over two hundred people were in attendance, all dressed to the nines. The air was filled with the soft murmur of conversation, the clinking of glasses, and the delicate strains of a string quartet playing in the background. It was the kind of scene I was used to and preferred to be part of from a distance. But now I was in the thick of it and everything felt surreal.
My parents were mingling with some high-profile guests, their smiles polished and practiced. My brother Damian and his pregnant wife Emilia were seated nearby, Damian's hand protectively resting on Emilia's belly. Dean’s his eyes darting around as if he were cataloging the entire scene.
Dom mingled with the crowd, his conversations calculated. He suspected Moreau was involved in gun running for the Russians, using Archer Arts & Antiquities as a front for his operations—exactly why he'd invoked the Jett Percival legend. His plan was to approach Moreau, and, since he had already revealed a connection to me, he'd steer Moreau toward using me. It was all part of his trap.
I felt Elsa's hand slip into mine.
"How are you doing?" I asked her.
She shrugged. " Too bad I'm pregnant—a couple of glasses of wine would really hit the spot right now."
The room quieted as Jean-Luc Moreau took the stage, a glass of champagne in his hand. Moreau's presence commanded attention, his smile broad and confident.
"Here we go," I muttered but kept a smile on my face.
"Mesdames et messieurs," my father-in-law began, his voice carrying effortlessly through the room. He started his speech in French but then moved to English, and said that was to embrace his American family, the Archers.
"Thank you for joining us tonight to celebrate the wedding of my beloved daughter, Elsa, and her husband, Duncan Archer. This evening is not just about a union of two people but of two families: the Moreaus and the Archers."
He paused, allowing his words to fully sink in. "Our families, though different in many ways, share a common bond of strength and resilience. Together, we will forge a path of prosperity and unity, and I am thrilled to see what the future holds for us all."
Moreau raised his glass, his eyes locking with mine for a brief moment. "To Elsa and Duncan, and to the bright future ahead of us all.À votre santé!"
"À votre santé!" the crowd echoed, raising their glasses in unison, all eyes on Elsa and me.
Once the toast ended, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in my gut. Moreau's words were carefully chosen and filled with layers of meaning that only a few of us in the room truly understood. He was making a statement not just to the guests but also to every asshole in his organization who wanted to usurp his position.
I glanced at Dom, who gave me a barely perceptible nod. The night was far from over, and the real challenges were just beginning.
Elsa looked up at me, her eyes filled with hopeandconcern. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
I smiled, trying to reassure her. "Yes,ma douce."
She leaned into me. "When do you think we can leave?"
"Soon," I murmured.
Just then, my father came up to me along with the Mayor of Paris. This was his way of saying, let the wife go and start networking. Parties such as this were always business first and last—with a wedding, engagement, birthday, or whatever as only an excuse.
I held on to Elsa for a minute but then relinquished her to Dean.
"Just need to talk to a few people,ma douce." I brushed my lips against the side of her forehead.
She gripped my forearm. "Duncan, I—"
"Come on, sweet sister-in-law." Dean nodded when I silently told him to take Elsa away. Despite her discomfort with her father's business, I couldn’t involve her in mine. I didn’t fully trust her—but then again, I didn’t rely on anyone outside of family.
I saw the hurt flash in her eyes but ignored it. I wasn't leaving her on her own; I was making sure my brother was taking care of her.
