Page 48 of The Royal Art of Revenge

Either is a possibility.

“When he’s around, they’re a picture-perfect family, where Harriet is simply happy to be reunited with her father and a part of the family. Minor disagreements, but nothing out of the ordinary given their circumstances. As far as they’re all concerned, she’s happy to step aside for Jasmine and let her marry you if it means she can get her money.”

“Do they really believe that?”

“Yes. Mostly. My girl has heard them threaten her with her trust fund more than once, so the theory that they’re using the money to control her with her identity is accurate, I’d say.” He runs his fingers through his black hair, mussing it up. “However, Harriet does use this to her advantage with her father. The agreement she signed states zero access at all and that William will provide her with an allowance, but what he’s actually doing is giving her limited access to her fund behind his wife’s back.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Really?”

“Yes. He appears to be under the impression that she’s using the money for her business, so while he monitors her spending and she has to request access, he all but allows her to use her fund whenever she pleases. She seems to have guilted him into allowing her to use it to support her photography. His stance is that if she’s happy, then she’s less likely to go against his wishes and ruin Jasmine’s future.”

“Of course. If Rosalyn finds out, he can use that same excuse. He did it all for Jasmine.”

“That seems to be the case,” Alec agrees. “Rosalyn wants her gone but has the opinion that you should always keep your enemies close. She sees Harriet as the single greatest threat to her adopted daughter’s life, and even though she hates her, she needs to keep her within the household so she can monitor her comings and goings. She even has a private investigator who follows her sometimes.”

“Find him. Pay him off.”

“Already done.” He pulls a USB stick from his bag and slides it across the table. “There’s everything he’s ever collected on her. For now, he’s going to keep working for Rosalyn under my orders.”

“You’re sure he’s working for you?”

“Yes. You’re paying him three times what she is, after all.”

Of course, I am.

I shoot him a withering look as I slide the device into my pocket. “Is there anything interesting on it?”

“I didn’t look, but he only ever reported on her work. That’s all she seems to do. Work, pass time by herself, and spend as little time as possible in the family home. Sometimes she fabricates clients so she can spend nights in hotels and not return home, but that’s not information he seems to have passed on.” His lips twitch to the side. “She’s definitely not a part of the family because she wants to be.”

“So, William thinks she’s the perfect, dutiful daughter, and Rosalyn keeps her close out of necessity. What of her relationship with Jasmine?”

“As I said earlier, volatile. Especially when Rosalyn and William aren’t around. Jasmine has wished death upon her to her face—in fact, she said so just two days ago.”

My fist clenches.

Alec’s gaze darts to it. “Relax. My girl was in the kitchen at the time and said Harriet’s response was, ‘I’d die, but it’s much more enjoyable to haunt you while being alive.’”

“I think I just heard that in her voice.” I sigh. “So, she wants out.”

“She wants out,” he confirms. “But she’s stuck. From the bits and pieces my girl has heard from other staff, she can’t leave until Jasmine has married you. After some time, they’ll announce her return and, if Rosalyn has her way, have her married off to someone who can benefit the family business. That she won’t see a penny of, of course.”

“Unfortunately for Rosalyn, that dream will never come true,” I say flatly. “Perhaps she should be focusing on finding a suitable husband for Jasmine instead.”

Alec smirks. “Ah, you really are going to marry her.”

“I promised her I’d do anything within my power to give her what she wants. She wants to marry me.” I shrug a shoulder. “From my side, this isn’t a bad thing. It makes my mother happy, and I’m attracted to Harriet.”

“What about her reasons for marrying you? She wants to burn her entire family legacy to the ground. What are you going to do?”

I smile. “Hand her the matches.”

“Oh, boy. You’re a fucking lost cause already.”

A chuckle escapes me. “There’s something about her. Even if those are her goals, they don’t affect me in any way at all. My mother hates William, so instead of stopping her, I’d wager she’d also hand her a box of matches. Shit, she’d light the bloody things first. She’s been apoplectic since Harriet was here in the palace. She even cancelled a meeting—which she never does—because she knew she was in no fit mental state to chair it.”

“Impressive. Harriet even has a chokehold on the queen. Perhaps I need to meet this woman.”

“You will. In time.” I tilt my head back and stare at the ceiling for a moment before looking back over at him. “Is that it? She just quietly exists in the Sinclair household?”