The air in Lucas's security firm's conference room crackled as Elena Romano walked in right at 9 AM. At seventy-three, my grandma still carried herself like the boardroom boss she'd been for, like, ever. Silver hair? Perfect. Armani suit? Flawless.
But what really got me was the crew trailing behind her: lawyers, investigators, and what looked suspiciously like bodyguards.
"Morning, dears," Elena said, all sweet as pie, like she hadn't just brought enough legal muscle to crush a small nation. "Hope you don't mind—I brought some backup."
Mikel shot up, offering Elena his chair with that polite thing she always loved. "Elena, we weren't expecting—"
"Of course you weren't," she cut in, settling into the seat like royalty. "Thomas always looked down on Romano women's planning skills. A mis
