Gavin Johnson sank deeper into his leather chair, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. The hospital's call still rang in his ears.
"How many times had the Johnsons tried to forge an alliance with Nathaniel Ricardo?" he muttered to himself.
Too many to count. Over the years, they'd dangled every eligible female relative before Nathaniel—distant cousins, nieces, even suggesting Imogen before Liam staked his claim. Nathaniel had rebuffed them all with that cold, dismissive stare of his.
Yet here was Juliana—the family's shame, the illegitimate daughter they'd hidden away—somehow married to the most powerful man in Oceanion.
I needed to see this drama unfold with my own eyes. The photo of Edward Beaumont still burned in my pocket as I headed for my car.
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