Chapter 3
The Cole family controlled access to three Manhattan event properties, two private clubs, and a network of legitimate business relationships useful to men who preferred influence to noise.
Vanessa’s father had spent years refusing to work directly with Lombardi.
Too old-fashioned, he said.
Too much blood.
Too little polish.
Then Julian began dating his daughter.
Suddenly the Cole family became interested.
That alone was not suspicious.
Families change their minds when relationships change.
But Ethan had been attending Julian’s private dinners for six months.
That mattered.
“How many times have you met without me?” I asked.
Julian looked away.
Ethan answered.
“Plenty.”
Vanessa turned toward her brother.
“About what?”
He smiled faintly.
“Business.”
She stared.
Apparently she knew less than she thought.
Good.
I looked at Julian.
“What business?”
“Nothing finalized.”
“Then it should be easy to explain.”
Silence.
Ethan finally did.
“The Cole family would open their venues and private membership network to Julian.”
“And?”
“In return, Julian would become the Lombardi point man for Manhattan social operations.”
I almost smiled.
“He already handles Manhattan events.”
“Not independently.”
There it was.
Julian wanted a domain that answered to him before it answered to me.
Vanessa looked increasingly uncomfortable.
“What does this have to do with Elsie?”
Ethan glanced at her.
Then Julian.
I saw the answer before he spoke.
“Her father didn’t want Vanessa tied to a man with a child from another woman.”
Vanessa stiffened.
“That’s not what Daddy said.”
Ethan looked at her.
“It’s exactly what he said.”
Silence.
Vanessa’s face changed.
She had believed Julian’s lie because her own family had required it.
Not explicitly to her.
Behind her.
I looked at Julian.
“You erased Elsie to qualify.”
His jaw tightened.
“That’s not fair.”
I stared.
“You told people your daughter belonged to a housekeeper.”
“I was protecting the relationship.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“You were protecting access.”
The relationship was emotional.
May you like
The access was power.
And my granddaughter had been turned into the inconvenient fact standing between them.
