“Charlene?” Alfredo raises his voice before I can shut the door. “Sean, wait a moment.”Sean leaves the office as I step back inside. I’m shocked, if not a little stunned to beat out Brotherhood business. Alfredo pulls me into his arms. I’m suddenly reassured by the comforting gesture, but I’m bracing myself for everything to turn on its head.“Believe me,” he says. “The less you’re involved, the better. Things are so unstable that we can’t take a chance of someone giving away anything vital. I can’t stop you from searching, but you’ll get hurt if it’s known you have the account numbers.” He pauses for emphasis. “And if you uncover something else, don’t follow it up without telling me.”I inhale, holding onto him tightly to keep myself from shaking. “What else is there?”“Nothing, but if you find something,” he says. “Tell me.”He gives me a hard look, and I wonder what’s going through his mind. Why do I keep thinking that everyone in the world is somehow connected to my problems?“I

A chill drips down my spine, not fear but dread. “Which is?”“Your sister cannot be allowed to run the Guillermo’s empire.” His tone carries authority. “You killed Guillermo. You have claimed it by right of conquest. It should be you who sits at its head, not her.”Rivero is careful not to spell it out in grim terms. Kill my own baby sister, and I will have the backing of all the allies I need to put down my enemies. Then I will have the peace I seek.I nod.Charlene places the menu down. “I would like to go home now.”“We cannot leave.” My tone is cold. “To leave now shows weakness. I need his backing. And if you want peace in our future, I suggest we at least have an appetizer.”“Fine.” Charlene picks up the menu again, but the light that had been in her eyes is no longer there. “Chocolate cake, and then we go home.”CharleneWhen Alfredo tells me his latest plan, I lose my breath.“No.” I shake my head. “She’s a child!She’s too young to get married.”“It’s the best way to keep Regi

“I don’t know much about being a wife to a husband in the brotherhood,” I blurt out clumsily.Her gaze rests on the small diamond pendant around my neck, and she frowns ever so slightly. “Is that a gift from your husband?”My hand rests on it, and I nod.“Is it real?” she asks.I nod again. “I’m pretty sure all the jewelry he has given me is real.”“Foolish girl.” She smiles thinly. “All your jewelry should be appraised and then duplicated. Youneverwear the originals. I will give you the name of a shop. Very discreet. They will pay for them, and your husband will never know. Never let your husband pick your jewelry.”My eyes widen as if she’s talking crazy. “Then how do I ask for it?”She tsks like I’m a child. “You admire a piece or find a picture of something you like in an auction catalog. Place the page on his desk. He will buy it for you. Don’t let him give you anything you can’t sell.”A chill descends my spine at her words. She’s not telling me how to be a wife.She’s telling m

“Maybe this friendship with Zara is not a bad thing,” Sean replies. “There is an advantage to your wife learning how to be a prop wife. Which means you can start treating her like one. You’ve allowed her too much freedom.”I chuckle as I pour another. “I kept her locked in a bedroom.”“A bedroom for a queen with endless luxuries and wealth,” replies Sean . “You’ve spoiled her. And she knows she can use sex to manipulate you. There’s a part of you that is holding onto her too tight. If you hold onto a butterfly’s wing, it will tear when it tries to fly away. Only when you let go will it want to return.” Sean continues with a smirk on his lips. “Make Charlene think she’s crazy for wanting to leave you. You must be like mu father”“Never.”“You have little choice,Alfredo.” Sean looks at his glass before taking a sip. “You need to turn Charlene into a Brotherhood wife. Your mom hated your father, but she wanted for nothing.”“Except love,” I reply flatly.“You loved your mother, Alfredo.

Just like Alfredo, these people will praise me for my brutality toward my family.Could Alfredo ever escape what was fated to happen?Could I?I don’t wait for the morning or for Regina to say come in.I unlock the door and enter her room. The couture dress is balled up and thrown on the floor while Regina lies on her bed in her old clothes that she took from Dad’s house. Her earbuds are in, and she ignores me as I pace alongside her bed. Her eyes stay trained on the laptop screen as if there’s actually something absorbing on streaming. I sit down on the bed near her and close the screen.“What do you want?” she asks crossly.I sit up straight. “I want to tell you that I’m sorry for slapping you.”“Is that it?” Regina asks, sitting up and crossing her legs.I watch my tone. “Yes, I’m sorry I slapped you, but we couldn’t risk it last night.”She rolls her eyes and replies, “Of course,My dear sister Charlene couldn’t risk something .”I look away and can’t think of what to say.“They do