Blackw

ept refilling my water glass and pushing plates of food toward me, all while try

nce. If looks could kill, I would have been a pile of a

first to break. She set her fork and knife down w

me. "Sister, it's just so wonderful that you were adop

but. "I was just reading an article the other day. It said the Beaumont 'Navigator's Heart' is never given as a simple gift. It'

a pretty bow of feigned concern. Sh

his earlier suspicion returned to his greedy eyes. H

es gleaming with malicious hope. This was their chance t

mly placed my napkin on the table, took a slow

mal circumstances, that is the case." I let her savor her small

avering, "there are always excep

s a simple, standard-issue model, nothing fancy. I unlocked it,

the top of the scree

thunderclap. "He's the current CEO of the Beaumont Group. If you have any concerns about the gift'

sin, not a junior manager. The CEO of the entire global enterprise was my brother. This

n reaching for his wine

spectacularly. She had tried to expose me as a fraud and had

were hot. His smile was back, wider and more desperate than before. "I have complete fait

ime I had ever heard him speak to one of Georgian

red at me, her lips trembling. "I'm sorry, sister," she

ite all right. I understand your concern

painted her as petty and grasping, reinforcing Alistair's new perception

st daughter be humiliated, and she was powerless to stop it. She

passed in a strained,

oom, personally showing me to my assigned room and barking order

l from my face. I walked to the small, cracked mirror above the dress

ge plan is progressing steadily." I

gian

te, Felicity was

me, Mother! In f

ear,"I murmured, my voice a dangerous caress. "She's just arrived. Her roots here are sh