Twenty-five

The meeting with Sienna Williams over, Aaron DeMarque stepped into his home with a spring in his step, a beaming smile on his face. He could hardly believe it—Sienna had agreed to endorse him. The meeting had gone even better than expected, and he could only imagine the headlines tomorrow. He couldn't wait to rub it in George and Harris's face that Sienna was on his side.

He strides into his bedroom and hung up his coat. But as soon as he began to unbutton his shirt, the atmosphere shifted. Gisela leaned against the door frame, arms crossed and eyes blazing with fury.

Aaron’s smile faltered. “Gisela?” he began, his voice cautious. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” she repeated, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She took a step toward him, her hands trembling with barely contained rage. “You tell me, Aaron. How was your little meeting with Sienna?”

Aaron blinked, taken aback by the venom in her tone. “It went well. Really well, actually. She’s agreed to endorse my campaign, which i