Tyrone leaned in close to Alicia, his words a soft murmur against her ear. “Unless you’re the true heir of the White family—the real Nicole—I won’t marry anyone else.”
Alicia burst out laughing, looping her arm through his. “Alright, then let’s just dream about it tonight.”
Tyrone only smiled, saying nothing more.
…
Seaview City, Azure Heights Hotel.
Yvonne Harrison stared at the flood of media coverage. Nearly every headline was obsessed with the White family’s battle for the Hightower estate and the mystery of who the real Nicole was.
She stormed into the hotel, brushing aside Sean Quinn, who tried to catch her in an embrace—her anger catching anyone in its wake.
“Has Reginald lost his mind? Brandon and Jade haven’t suffered a scratch, which means someone powerful is shielding them! Why couldn’t he just wait a little longer, let that impostor flaunt herself for a few more days? If I can tolerate it—if I haven’t even dragged Alicia to my side—why couldn’t he hold out?”
She vented, breath coming fast as she dropped onto the couch.
“Easy, love, take it easy,” Sean soothed, rubbing her shoulders. “You’re pregnant now, you need to relax. I’m sure the old man has his reasons. His health’s getting worse—he’s probably terrified that if something happens to him suddenly, he won’t be able to protect Alicia. He’s just trying to smooth the road for her.”
Yvonne leaned back, silent for a long moment. “Do you have any idea who’s backing Brandon?”
Sean shook his head. “Whoever’s able to manipulate both of Harboridge City’s top families at once is no amateur. I’d bet they used to be on top of the world, but now they’re on the decline. He may not have much left, but he’s a master at scheming. He’s been playing the White family and the Lynch family off each other for decades.”
The current head of the Edwards family, Connor Edwards, was four or five years younger than Tyrone. He was always polite and smiling, a perpetual nice guy, never giving anyone a reason to suspect him.
“If it’s not the Lynch family or the White family, that just leaves us—the Quinns—and the Edwards,” Yvonne said, narrowing her eyes as she grabbed Sean by the collar. “Are you sure you’re not harboring some lifelong grudge over your sister’s death…?”
Sean threw up his hands in surrender. “Honey, you know my parents doted on me—they could never raise a monster. Besides, I was just a kid when my sister died, barely older than Tyrone. How could I have masterminded anything at that age?”
Yvonne finally smiled—a sign she trusted him. Sean simply wasn’t capable of such cold calculation.
“Then it has to be the Edwards family,” she murmured, her eyes narrowing again.
Connor Edwards now ran the family, but the Edwards had always been too quiet, too under-the-radar. And sometimes, the quiet ones were the ones you needed to watch the most.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent)