The golden chandeliers of the Family Office cast a warm, honeyed glow over the assembled elite of the Montgomery clan, but the atmosphere near the center of the hall had turned frigid. Liam Livingston stood with a relaxed posture that bordered on insolent, his hand still resting lightly on Serena Montgomery’s arm as he faced down a sputtering Preston Montgomery.
The silence that followed Liam’s dismissal of the thirty-nine-thousand-dollar suit was absolute. It was the kind of silence that precedes a lightning strike. Even the catering staff froze, silver trays balanced precariously as they sensed the shift in the room's power dynamic.
Liam’s gaze swept over the gathered relatives, finally settling back on Preston’s face, which was rapidly turning a mottled shade of violet.
"You're makin
