My father recovered first, though his composure had visibly cracked at the edges. "Mr. Salford, we were just joking around. A bit of family teasing, nothing more.""Joking?" Jason's voice stayed level, but something in it made my father take an involuntary step backward, the same reaction I remembered from the guards outside the cathedral six years ago.Virginia's hand shot out, gripping the sleeve of the man standing beside her — a stranger I hadn't noticed until now, tall and polished in the particular way of men who'd never once had to work for anything they owned. "Jason, say something. Don't just stand there."He straightened, clearing his throat with obvious reluctance. "Mr. Salford, Virginia was only teasing her stepdaughter. Sisters tease each other. Surely a man of your stature has better things to occupy his time than women's squabbles."Jason turned toward him slowly, studying him with the same predatory patience I'd already learned to recognize. "What's your name?""Jason
Last Updated : 2026-08-20
LOGIN
