Chapter 77
Sebastian led Harper to his office, closing the door behind them with careful precision that suggested he was working very hard to stay calm.
"Talk to me," he said.
Harper sank onto the leather couch, hands trembling. "It's not what I mean, there's nothing criminal or scandalous. But if Marcus is digging, he'll find things I'm not proud of."
"Like what?"
She took a breath. "My father."
Sebastian sat beside her, close but not touching. "You've never mentioned him."
"Because he's been in prison since I was seventeen." The words came out flat, practiced. "Embezzlement. He worked for a real estate development company and skimmed money for years. When it all came out, my mother left him. Left us. I went to live with Aunt Eleanor."
Sebastian was quiet for a moment. "That's why
