Page 93 of Angel

She was beyond beautiful; she was stunning, I thought as she went to open the front door.

Elsa and Reese slid out of their car, leaving their chauffeured black limousine idling at the curb.

Elsa, in her customary all-white Chanel, perfect makeup and slicked-back hair, appeared drained.

A deep weariness seemed to have settled around her eyes, alongside a quiet, simmering resentment toward her husband.

Reese marched beside her into the house, his posture rigid as he leaned on his cane.

‘Food ready?’ he demanded.

Roxy nodded. ‘This way.’

No hugs, no kisses; the Rosedales always kept their reunions cold, devoid of affection.

We suffered through a tense dinner and polite chitchat, catching up on friends and on Reese’s recent wins in the press.

We finished with a dessert of flourless chocolate torte and espresso.

The second the plates cleared, Reese jerked his chin to the back patio, signaling me to follow like I was some kid to be scolded.

My jaw tightened.

You’re in my house now, old man.

Still, I ambled after him after exchanging a glance with Roxy and raising a brow.

‘I hired a private investigator to track Evangeline,’ Reese stated without preamble as soon as the sliding door shut behind us.

His hands gripped the iron balcony railing as he stared me down.

‘She’s tangled herself up with a high-end narcotics dealer she met in New York. The guy goes by the name Maurice.’

A spike of fury pierced my gut.

However, I kept my expression locked down like steel.

Crossing my hands over my chest, I leaned a hip on the balustrade.

‘What do you expect me to do about it?’

‘She’s blocked my number,’ Reese snarled, his jaw tightening. ‘She might answer your calls. When she does, you need to order her to cut ties with this loser. Her association with him could bode badly for the Rosedale Group.’

He had no idea she called me in Capri and was blowing up my DMs.

I was not compelled in the least to share.

‘Why do you now care about her safety?’ I countered, crossing my arms and towering over him.

‘I’ve always cared,’ he spat, his voice dropping to a vicious whisper. ‘She needs to distance herself from this criminal before she causes a public scandal that I can’t -.’

‘What? Cover up?’ I stepped into his personal space, cutting him off with pure dominance of my sheer size.

‘That I can’t protect her from.’

‘What would you know about protecting her? Spoiling that girl and prioritizing her over her own sister turned her into a manipulative, toxic brat. You created her into the entitled woman she is. I’ve no interest in helping her and covering your ass at the same time.’

Reese narrowed his eyes, his voice turning icy cold.