Chapter 6
Preston told Tiffany to shut up.
She laughed.
“You hit Catherine for less.”
His face changed.
Good.
She had been recording cruelty because she enjoyed feeling above someone.
Now she enjoyed having information above him.
I held her phone.
“What happens if Pembroke’s daughter refuses?”
Tiffany shrugged.
“Ask Marcus.”
“Who?”
“My uncle.”
Victoria went pale.
Different family branch.
Older.
More dangerous.
I looked at my father.
He knew the name.
“Marcus Caldwell?”
Sebastian nodded once.
“Former east-side broker.”
Victoria snapped:
“This is family business.”
My father looked at her.
“You’re standing in a room full of my men.”
Her jaw tightened.
Tiffany continued.
“Uncle Marcus said Preston only needed the daughter near him once.”
“Why?”
Silence.
She smiled.
“Because accidents happen.”
Preston lunged toward her.
My bodyguards stopped him.
He shouted:
“She’s lying.”
Tiffany laughed.
“Now you care about truth?”
I searched the phone.
Messages.
PRESTON: Stop filming everything.
TIFFANY: You’ll thank me when we need leverage.
There.
Leverage.
I opened their chat.
A photograph appeared.
Me.
Walking down the ballroom staircase last month.
Caption from Tiffany:
Poor little Cinderella still thinks she’s getting married.
Then Preston:
Keep her happy until Pembroke meeting.
Another message:
If S.P.’s daughter agrees, Catherine goes quietly.
Tiffany:
And if she doesn’t?
Preston:
Marcus handles it.
My father read over my shoulder.
His expression didn’t move.
That made the room colder.
I looked at Preston.
“What does ‘handles it’ mean?”
“Nothing.”
I scrolled farther.
A voice message.
Marcus Caldwell.
“First choice is marriage. Second is pressure. Third is the old family solution.”
No explanation.
Then Victoria replied:
“Not until we know whether Sebastian’s daughter has children.”
I stopped.
Children?
My father looked at her.
“Why would that matter?”
Victoria said nothing.
Tiffany’s smile disappeared too.
That was new.
I continued scrolling.
Marcus:
No child means cleaner succession.
My blood went cold.
This was not merely about marriage.
May you like
They wanted access to the Pembroke future.
And somewhere in the Caldwell plan, whether Sebastian had grandchildren changed how dangerous they were willing to become.
