Olivia Despite Liam’s worries, I’m pretty confident that I’m going to be okay. What can
Hugh and his family realistically do? If they come after me, they lose the right to receive
money from the trust, and God forbid they actually have to work to put food on the table.
The tabloids and Instagram posts are annoying—and embarrassing, especially with Liam’s
family in volved—but they aren’t fatal. I’ve survived worse. I can overcome this. “Your
breakfast,” Simon says, placing a bag with a fresh bagel on my desk. “Oh, sorry, I should’ve
said something earlier, but Liam already fed me breakfast.” “Really? How... interesting. I
thought a man that busy wouldn’t have had the time.” I laugh softly. “His butler-ish person
pr epped it for me. He makes his own bagels, and they’re amazing.” Simon smiles. “I’m
glad.” “Same. Not that I mind supporting the small bakery, but homemade is just so good. If
you want, I’ll bring one for you tomorrow.” He likes bagels as much as I do. “It’s all right,
but thanks.” The skin around his eyes tightens. “Nice ring. Ruby?” “No. A red diamond. It’s
my engagement ring from Liam.” I grin, admiring the stone for the thousandth time. I never
understood Mom’s desire to collect diamonds until now. If every rock was as precious as
this... “It even has a name. The Rubedo. Incredible, isn’t it? I never thought I’d own a stone
with a name. Did you know—Gavin Lloyd, Ted Lasker and
Barron Sterling wanted it.” I still can’t believe I’m the proud owner of the stone coveted by
three of the richest men in the world. Simon shakes his head slowly. “No, I didn’t. The
photos from Brielle’s wedding only showed the heirloom pieces on you.” “Those were from
Mom. I took them all with me when I moved out.” Deena and Brielle raised holy hell, but
John Highsmith informed Hugh that I am the only person entitled to access them for my
own use, not him or his new wife and child. “I see. Well, anyway, we have some proposals.”
Simon hands me a stack of documents. We’re trying to do everything digitally, but
sometimes it’s easier for me to deal with complex information on paper. “It hasn’t even
been a week,” I say, surprised to be getting four proposals already. “It’ll be a steady stream
of business for them. Another diversification of cash flow.” “I guess so.” I blink at the
Kingswood Stones & Designs proposal on the bottom. Liam’s company seems too lux to
bother with something as unglamorous as urns. “I put that one last because I’m not sure
how serious they are about it. They might’ve sent an offer out of respect for your marriage
to their boss.” “Hmm... I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion. Liam doesn’t know I’m the one
behind Luminary & Co. or Ever After,” I say. Ever After is a holding company I created to
hide my ownership of the condo and Luminary & Co. from Hugh and company should they
ever decide to check into my finances. Or Tyler, since he needed to believe I wasn’t flush
enough with cash to wipe out his gambling debts. “KSD is probably sincere. I can’t imagine
Liam sending a proposal when he wasn’t serious about fulfilling the business agreement.”
Simon’s eyes darken. “Are you leaning toward giving him the business?” “What do you
mean?” “You’re smiling.” Am I? I immediately flatten my mouth. “Maybe. I won’t make a
decision until I have a chance to review all the proposals. But I think the quality of
deliverables from his company will be top-notch. It’s one of very few places that can
produce red diamonds consistently well. A company that meticulous should make a good
partner.”
He smirks. “Our customers don’t exactly demand refunds.” “Really. Are you suggesting we
sell products of subpar quality?” “No, that... that isn’t what I meant.” “Then what did you
mean?” I stare at him. “Just because someone’s dead doesn’t mean they’re done and should
be ignored and forgotten. They deserve as much dignity and care in death as they did when
they were alive.” “I’m sorry. I misspoke. I... I’m probably too worried about the cost.”
“Uh-huh. Well, the cost is what it is. We charge what we charge, and clients decide if our
quality is worth it.” I let out a sigh. My rebuke was sharp, but I’m not sorry I delivered it.
Simon has probably never experienced the deaths of loved ones the way I did and can’t
relate to the pain at a de ep level. Still... He’s my right-hand man. He should always carry
himself with proper decorum and empathy. Luminary & Co. is more about helping people
find closure than just making money. As I stare at the Kingswood Stones & Designs logo on
the proposal, something else occurs to me. “Did you deliver my health r eport to Liam?”
“What?” “He said he didn’t get it.” I frown. Liam was understanding—thankfully —but he
could’ve easily refused to have sex without protection until he knew for sure. “I sent it.
Maybe it got lost in spam.” Simon hesitates. “Maybe shouldn’t have put anything about
STDs in the email...?” “Yeah, a spam filter might’ve flagged that.” I heave a sigh, wave
Simon out of the office and get to work on the day’s agenda. We need a new manufacturing
facility for the urns with diamond inlays. Some of ours are made in China, but the diamond
line needs something that says premium. Italy or Portugal? Japan? I make a mental note to
look into the pros and cons of each. The rest of the day is filled with meetings on finance,
designs, and manufacturing specs. Two of the meetings were rescheduled from last week.
During my lunch break, I pick up the items I’d had pr epared for the Kingswood elders as
soon as Liam signed the marriage contract to smooth things over with his family.
Technically, his grandmother and the other elders are irrelevant. I only need Liam for the
trust-triggering events. But he shouldn’t have to sacrifice his relationship with the elders
for me.
At five, I call a car service for the ride to his grandparents’ home. Although Simon
volunteered for the drive, I’m not taking him when I’m there to face Liam’s disapproving
elders. Who knows what his mother Elita might do to a man as attractive as Simon? Her
r eputation as a man-killer is justly deserved. She was supposedly wild when she was
younger, and marrying Auric failed to settle her. She and her husband are engaged in an
open marriage that somehow works without any of the drama you might expect, despite all
the illegitimate children they managed to spawn. The traffic’s horrific—the price of living in
L. A. Still, I wouldn’t give it up for anything. I love the bustling energy, and the calm I get
when I’m home away from it all. –Liam: Just about done here. I’ll pick you up. –Me: Already
on my way. –Liam: Is Simon driving you? –Me: No. A car service. Very safe, very
comfortable. I’m good, I promise. Three dots appear and disappear for a while. Finally, a
text arrives. –Liam: Okay. See you soon. Half an hour later, the black Escalade stops in front
of a two-story Malibu mansion. I raise an eyebrow. The woman must like the ocean, too. But
this stretch is far from Liam’s—I’m pretty certain he made sure of this before buying his
property. Her garden is immaculate, full of orchids. Lady’s slipper orchids in particular are
splendid in their green, yellow, pink, and burgundy blooms. Either his grandmother is an
excellent gardener or she employs one. Mom tried to grow them and gave up after four
years. She said she didn’t want to become a serial flower killer. I smile wistfully. If Mom
were alive, her eyes would light up and she’d pester everyone to learn the secret. Liam
climbs out of his Spectre. “You should’ve called me.” I blink at his slightly petulant tone.
He’s obviously trying to hide it, but the disappointment ripples underneath. “I didn’t want
you to go out of your way just to pick me up, not in this traffic anyway.” I reach over and
grab his hand, and the shadow drains from his eyes. I sigh inwardly. He’s so open and
easygoing. Either this is his real
personality, or he’s only like this with me. The former makes me want to kiss him, and the
latter makes me want to cry. In the end I just hug him. “What’s this about?” Suspicion edges
his voice even as he hugs me back. “I just want to hug my husband. Is that so wrong?” “No.
I missed you, too.” I melt into his warmth. All the stress and irritation of the day disappear.
Just what kind of magic does this man possess? “Nothing happened, right? No weirdos or
anything?” I shake my head. “Nothing. Don’t worry. Hugh is a greedy coward. He’s scared
of hurting me and losing the money from the trust.” Holding hands, we enter the house. It
has a beautiful view of the ocean, although not as magnificent as Liam’s. The interior is
airy, with tall ceilings, a skylight over the great room, and a layout that divides into the
dining and living rooms. If I hoped this would be a laid-back dinner, it’s shattered the
moment I notice Sorcha in a calf-length chiffon dress with her hand tucked into the crook of
Cedric’s arm. The man’s in a navy suit and walks like a guard escorting a fairy princess. The
woman just needs to place a tiara on her head to complete her look. Sorcha’s pale blue eyes
remind me of a Siberian husky’s as she scrutinizes me from head to toe. Not happy with
what she sees because the corners of her mouth stay flat. But then I never expected her to
approve. Her nose wrinkles as if she smells something fishy about me. Not surprising —I’m
not being straightforward with everyone. Well, she can glare disdainfully all she wants. The
only person I owe anything to is Liam. Elita and Auric are easy to spot at the table, both of
them sipping water. Elita is a beautiful woman who looks a decade younger than her actual
age. But then she must get all the nice things from the Platcher Cosmetics empire. She
wears a bright red Versace with a plunging neckline, the kind that makes a statement: Look
at me, I’m hot. Auric is pretty well preserved for his age as well. Maybe with his wife’s help,
or maybe he stays young by banging every hot thing in sight. His scandals are legendary,
unlike those of his wife, who is somewhat more circumspect.
Sorcha and Cedric take their seats at the head of the table. Liam escorts me further inside,
and we take our spots—the only two remaining. At least the chairs aren’t made of thorns.
“Everyone, please welcome my wife, Olivia Kingswood, to the family,” Liam begins in an
uncharacteristically neutral tone tinged with caution. “Olivia, my grandmother,
grandfather, father and mother.” “Hello,” I murmur. Frederich comes out with caviar and
vodka buried in ice and serves us. I smile at the first friendly face in the house, and he gives
me a small nod. Once he’s gone, Auric leans forward. “Is it really true that you tried to steal
Tyler from Brielle?”