Mick went rigid.
A flash of disbelief crossed his eyes, and his brow furrowed deeper than before.
Olympia froze too. She even forgot to keep crying.
I pulled out a handkerchief, wiped the wine from my hands, then crouched down.
I picked up the shards of glass from the floor one by one, bare-handed, and dropped them into the trash bin nearby.
When I was done, I stood and looked at Mick.
"My clothes are stained. I'm going upstairs to change."
I turned and walked toward the second floor, my spine perfectly straight.
His gaze stayed glued to my back the entire way.
Back in the bedroom, I shut the door.
I leaned against it and closed my eyes.
Seven years of devotion. Today, that chapter was finally over.
The phone on the nightstand lit up.
An encrypted message from Russ Weiss.
"Jill, the flight route has been approved. The Weiss family's security detail will arrive in the Capital in three days. Whatever the Gilberts owe you, I'll make them pay back tenfold. A hundredfold."
I stared at the message. My eyes burned with heat.
The bedroom door swung open without warning.
Mick strode in on those long legs, his sharp gaze locking onto the phone in my hand.
He crossed the room in three steps and snatched it away.
The screen went dark at that exact moment.
He didn't try to unlock it. He tossed it onto the soft carpet like it was nothing.
Then he reached out and gripped my chin, forcing my face up toward his.
"Downstairs just now. Why didn't you put up a fight?" His tone was probing, almost suspicious.
I met his eyes. My voice was flat, without a single ripple of emotion.
"You've always said my temper is too much. That I should learn to be more generous. I gave her the jade ring and the necklace. Isn't that exactly what you wanted?"
Something complicated flickered through his gaze.
He released my chin, wrapped both arms around my waist, and pulled me against his chest.
He smelled of faint tobacco and Olympia's perfume.
The two scents tangled together, and my stomach turned.
Mick lowered his head, his lips brushing the shell of my ear.
"Jill, I know today was hard on you. Olympia's older sister was crippled saving my life years ago. I owe it to her to take care of Olympia."
"As long as you behave yourself and stay in line, there will always be a place for you in the Gilbert family. You'll still be the woman who's been by my side the longest."
He was making me a promise. Delivered from on high, like charity tossed to a beggar.
He actually expected me to be grateful.
A frantic knock came from outside the door.
Olympia's delicate voice drifted through the wood.
"Mick, my chest hurts all of a sudden. Can you come be with me?"
His arms dropped from my waist instantly.
Not a second of hesitation. He turned to leave.
At the doorway, he paused and looked back.
"There's a charity gala tomorrow night. I'm bringing Olympia. She just got back to the country and doesn't have a proper gown." His eyes swept over me, utterly matter-of-fact. "That Starlight couture piece in your closet. Have the housekeeper take it to Olympia tomorrow so it can be altered to fit her."
I stared at him in disbelief.
That Starlight gown. Five years ago, when we first made things official, he had flown in a top French designer to create it for me, tailored to every measurement of my body.
Nine hundred and ninety-nine crystals, hand-set along the hem.
I had treated that dress like a treasure. I wouldn't even let the housekeepers touch it.
Once, a new maid had snuck it out to try on. The moment I found out, I had her dismissed and sent packing from the Capital entirely.
Mick had praised me for it at the time. He said what was mine was mine, and no one else had the right to lay a finger on it.
