GAVIN
I let the silence settle for a second. Two. Then I speak, voice sharp. “You’re worried about judgment? Invite Vanessa to the next board meeting. Maybe she can leak the minutes while she’s there.”
Vivian’s mouth tightens. Just a little. “She made mistakes,” she says carefully. “But she’s still a better match for you than a woman whose brother would murder you if he found out.”
I feel heat crawl up my spine. “Don’t bring Phil into this like you care about him.”
“That boy spent enough time in my house during his teen years to be one of my own, and that girl isn’t just some assistant, which makes this messier than usual. You could ruin him.”
“Phil isn’t that fragile.”
“But she is,” Vivian says. “Don’t be cruel. Not like your father. Don’t break her heart for sport.”
The accusation
