Page 62

Story: Overruled

•••

I arrive atmy parents’ place fifteen minutes late just to piss off Alexander; I know he’s unlikely to say anything with Lorenzo present, and the irritated look he’ll most likely give me will make it slightly worth it. I can already hear subtle laughter from the dining room when I step through the front door, steeling myself for a night of bullshit as I traipse through the cold hallway toward the brightly lit room.

The four of them are gathered around the polished wood table that sits under the crystal chandelier, each holding a glass of red wine, save for my mother, who is tucked in her chair with her hands sitting demurely in her lap. Alexander looks up at me as I walk through the door, his eyes narrowing for a second before he schools his expression.

“Ezra,” he says blandly. “I thought for a moment you might not be coming.”

“And miss all the fun?” I paste a fake smile on my face as I pull out a chair next to my mother. “You know how much I love family dinners.”

“This one is funny,” Lorenzo chortles, his cheeks already flushed in a way that tells me this isn’t his first glass of wine. “Chip off the old block, eh?” Lorenzo barks out another laugh. “Not really though, I suppose.”

I see my mother flinch from the corner of my eye, and I curlmy hands into fists under the table. “Always good to see you, Lorenzo.”

“Lorenzo was just telling me that the little lawyer representing Bianca is asking questions about the bank account he and his cousin share,” Alexander says offhandedly.

“Cousin,” I remark dryly. “Right.”

Lorenzo arches one thick brow. “You have something to say, little Hart?”

“Nothing at all,” I answer blithely. “Knowing the intimate details of your personal life is well outside my need to know, isn’t it? It’s not like I’m trying to keep you from having to shell out millions. Why would I need to be privy to all your dirty little secrets?”

Lorenzo stares at me for a moment, his red face blank and not giving any evidence of how he might react, but surprisingly, another sharp laugh escapes him. “That is funny,” he chuckles. “Someone like you speaking of dirty little secrets.”

My jaw clenches. “Is there somethingyouwould like to say, Lorenzo?”

“Let’s not talk business,” Alexander says drolly, like this entire conversation is boring him. He taps his fingers on the table near my mother. “Jackie. Go check on dinner, would you?”

“She’s not your fucking maid,” I seethe.

Alexander narrows his eyes. “It’s not your fucking business, boy.”

My mother’s hand pats my knee gently under the table, and when I turn to look at her, she gives me a slight shake of her head, already rising from her chair. One of Alexander’sactualmaids enters the room from the galley door, holding a fresh glass and a bottle of wine, just as my mother disappears through it. The maid sets the glass in front of me, presenting the bottle.

“Wine?”

Normally, I would say no, but a little liquid courage feels necessary if I’m going to get through this dinner. “Please.”

She fills my glass as Alexander and Lorenzo delve into quiet conversation about the event Alexander is apparently hosting here at the house in the coming weeks, occasionally bringing Eli into the fold as I nurse my glass, effectively ignored for the moment. I’m used to it, but I fail to see why it’s something I’m still forced to subject myself to. Part of me thinks it’s for Alexander’s entertainment. I think he enjoys reminding me just how firmly under his thumb he has me pressed.

My mother returns a short while later with people bringing in dinner behind her, and Lorenzo gushes loudly about the food as Alexander laughs at his antics. Even from here I can see that his laughter is fake, that the amusement in his features is calculated. His eyes tell a different story, glaring at Lorenzo with thinly veiled disgust when Lorenzo isn’t looking. Almost like he actually can’t stand to be in the other man’s presence.

Interesting.

“So, Jackie,” Lorenzo says at some point. “I hear you are doing well these days, no? Must be nice to have your husband take such good care of you after everything.”

My fingers close around my fork, gripping it tight. “Maybe you’ve had enough wine, Lorenzo.”

“It is not a secret,” Lorenzo snorts. “You should be grateful you are even here. That Alexander still gives you a place at his table. It is much more than I would have done.”

“It’s not something we like to talk about at dinner,” Alexander says, surprising me. I would think he would love an opportunity to remind me. I suspect it’s just that he doesn’t like Lorenzoknowing his business, which raises the question, why does he? “Why don’t you tell me about the merger instead. Have you finalized?”

“I’m feeling tired,” my mother says softly, causing everyone to turn and look at her. “Would it be all right if I went on up to bed?”

“You’ll stay until we’re finished,” Alexander says, his tone leaving no room for argument. Then he ignores her completely to give his attention back to Lorenzo. “Anyway, the merger?”

Maybe it’s the wine in my system, or the stress of this fucking case paired with Alexander and my brother constantly breathing down my neck, or maybe it’s even a bit of the mess with Dani—I can’t be sure. All I know is that my blood is boiling under my skin, and there are tinges of red in my vision that form when I see my mother shrivel down into her chair.

“She said she’s tired,” I manage tightly. “I’m going to take her to bed.”