LAURA’S POV
I do not come to the estate quietly. I have never believed in quiet exits or polite retreats. Power does not whisper. Power announces itself, and I have wielded it for decades, through boardrooms, charities, marriages, and men who thought they could outgrow my influence.
Including my son, the moment my car pulls into the circular drive, I see her.
Lavender Brooks.
She is seated on one of the garden benches beneath the jacaranda tree, hands folded over her stomach, posture careful in a way that immediately tells me everything Alex has tried to shield from me.
So it’s true, my jaw tightens.
Pregnant, of course she is, her little bump confirms everything.
The driver opens the door, but I am already stepping out, heels biting into the gravel as if the ground itself should f
