Chapter 15
Edward Caldwell had been watching for almost an hour.
Tiffany’s stream was private.
One viewer.
An account named EC.
Marcus went pale when I showed him.
“Turn it off.”
“No.”
Victoria stood.
“Catherine.”
Interesting.
First time she used my name without contempt.
Fear teaches manners quickly.
I kept the stream running.
Then looked directly into Tiffany’s camera.
“Edward.”
No answer.
Of course.
Dead men prefer silence.
I continued.
“You wanted to know whether Sebastian Pembroke’s daughter could be controlled.”
The viewer count remained one.
“So watch.”
I handed the phone to George.
Then walked to the center of the ballroom.
No father beside me.
No bodyguard at my shoulder.
Just me.
“Preston Caldwell is no longer my fiancé.”
Preston looked down.
“Victoria Caldwell has no authority in any Pembroke property.”
Her face hardened.
“Marcus Caldwell is barred from every route, club and crew that answers to us.”
Marcus laughed.
“You think declarations create reality?”
I looked at George.
He lowered his head.
Then every Pembroke captain did the same.
Reality.
I turned toward Daniel.
“You are finished here.”
My father closed his eyes.
That one hurt him.
Still true.
Then Tiffany.
“You keep the phone.”
She stared.
“What?”
“You filmed abuse for entertainment.”
Her face tightened.
“But today your worst habit exposed your family.”
I looked into the camera again.
“Edward, if you want to speak to me, stop pretending to be dead.”
The viewer disappeared.
Stream ended.
Marcus exhaled.
Too early.
My father’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He looked at me.
I nodded.
Speaker.
An old male voice filled the ballroom.
“Catherine.”
Victoria covered her mouth.
Preston went still.
Edward Caldwell.
Alive.
“You are more like Sebastian than I hoped.”
I answered:
“No.”
Pause.
“I’m more like the woman you made scrub your family’s floor.”
Silence.
Then he laughed.
“You think today makes you leader?”
“No.”
“What does?”
I looked at my bleeding hands.
“Tomorrow.”
The line went quiet.
Because power isn’t one dramatic room.
May you like
It’s who still follows you after it empties.
And tomorrow, Edward would discover which family still had one.
