The atmosphere in the main dining room of the Landry estate was suffocating.
Juliana sat on the right side of the massive mahogany table. She wore a high-necked black evening gown. Her spine was perfectly straight.
Corrin sat further down the table. She kept glancing at Adelbert, batting her eyelashes.
At the head of the table sat Eleanor Landry, the matriarch of the family.
Eleanor sliced her steak with a silver knife. The metal scraped against the porcelain plate.
She stopped cutting. She slowly looked up and locked her sharp eyes on Corrin.
"Adelbert," Eleanor said. Her voice was quiet but carried absolute authority. "Why is there a stranger sitting at our family Sunday dinner?"
Adelbert set his wine glass down.
"Corrin is an important guest, Grandmother."
Eleanor let out a dry laugh.
"You are playing games with the Landry reputation."
Adelbert's face darkened. Instead of arguing with his grandmother, he turned his anger toward the easiest target. Juliana.
"Reputation?" Adelbert mocked. "If we care about reputation, we shouldn't have married the daughter of a fraud."
Juliana's hands clamped down on her knife and fork. Her knuckles turned white.
"The SEC investigation into her father's company proved what the Daltons are," Adelbert continued, his voice dripping with poison. "Deceit and greed are in her blood."
Juliana's heart stopped. The memory of her father's suicide after the false SEC charges ripped through her chest.
She snapped her head up and stared at Adelbert. Pure hatred burned in her eyes.
Corrin gasped loudly and covered her mouth with her hand.
Eleanor slammed her heavy silver goblet onto the table.
The loud bang echoed off the high ceiling.
"Enough!" Eleanor barked. "You lack manners and discipline, Adelbert."
Eleanor pointed a finger at him.
"As long as I am breathing, Juliana is the daughter-in-law of this family. If the short sellers on Wall Street catch wind of a scandal because of your little pet, you will lose your voting rights in the trust."
Adelbert's face turned pale. He clamped his mouth shut.
Eleanor turned her gaze to Juliana.
"Tomorrow, you and Adelbert will sit down for the Vanity Fair exclusive interview. You will smile. You will look happy."
Juliana swallowed the bile rising in her throat.
She thought about the hospital. She thought about her mother's failing heart. She needed the Landry medical insurance. She needed the money.
She forced the corners of her mouth up.
"Yes, Grandmother."
Dinner ended in dead silence.
Adelbert stood up, grabbed Corrin's arm, and marched out of the room.
Juliana sat alone at the long table. She stared at her untouched food. Her stomach cramped violently.
Eleanor walked past her chair. She stopped and patted Juliana's shoulder.
"Men are stupid," Eleanor said quietly. "But money and power are permanent. Remember that."
"Thank you, Grandmother."
Juliana stood up and walked out into the dark hallway.
She leaned against the cold wall and closed her eyes.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket.
She pulled it out. It was an email from Mount Sinai Hospital. The billing department.
The invoice for her mother's specialized cardiac care for the next month was attached. The number was massive.
Juliana stared at the screen. She locked her phone and shoved it back into her pocket. She swallowed her tears.
