Chapter 3 - NOT TONIGHT
Audrey read Dominic's message twice.
Then she turned her phone facedown.
Across the table, Victor Hale smiled.
"Everything all right?"
"Perfectly."
He studied her.
"Good."
Her father raised his glass.
"To family."
Everyone drank.
Audrey didn't.
She was watching Victor.
His expensive watch.
His polished smile.
The way he kept one hand near the leather folder beside his chair.
Something about him felt rehearsed.
As though he had practiced being charming until the performance became second nature.
Ethan launched into a speech about the investment.
"Victor's group is financing a waterfront redevelopment project. Hotels, restaurants, office space. It's going to transform the district."
Audrey looked at him.
"Which district?"
"South Philadelphia."
"Who's the primary lender?"
Victor answered before Ethan could.
"A consortium of private investors."
"Which ones?"
His smile tightened.
"Confidential."
Audrey nodded.
"Then who owns the land?"
Ethan groaned.
"Audrey."
She ignored him.
Victor leaned back.
"The ownership structure is complicated."
"Most fraudulent structures are."
Silence.
Her father lowered his fork.
"Audrey."
She looked at Victor.
"I didn't say yours was fraudulent."
Victor smiled thinly.
"Of course not."
Her phone vibrated.
Dominic: I'm twenty minutes away.
Audrey stared.
Audrey: From where?
Dominic: Your family's house.
Her pulse jumped.
Audrey: How do you know where that is?
Dominic: You told me the neighborhood. Daniel found the public listing. I should have asked before coming.
Audrey frowned.
That was both reassuring and alarming.
Audrey: You're not invited.
Dominic: Then I won't come in. But Hale is dangerous.
She looked toward Victor.
He was speaking quietly to Ethan.
Then he glanced at her phone.
Again.
Dinner deteriorated quickly.
Ethan insisted Audrey was being rude.
Her mother suggested everyone change the subject.
Her father asked whether she could stop interrogating guests for one evening.
Audrey put down her fork.
"I'm asking basic questions about an investment you're all celebrating."
Ethan laughed.
"Here we go."
She looked at him.
"What?"
"The lecture."
"You're risking your savings."
"I'm investing them."
"With a man who won't tell you who owns the project."
Victor raised one hand.
"Perhaps this isn't the appropriate time."
Audrey turned toward him.
"Then when is?"
Victor's smile disappeared.
"Miss Palmer, you seem determined to misunderstand me."
She held his gaze.
"Then explain it."
Ethan stood.
"Enough."
Audrey looked at her brother.
He pointed toward the door.
"If you're going to ruin dinner, leave."
Silence.
Her mother whispered, "Ethan."
But nobody stopped him.
Audrey felt something inside her settle.
Not break.
Settle.
She had spent years being the reasonable one.
The successful one.
The one who could take a joke.
The one who was expected to smile when everyone else laughed.
She stood.
"Fine."
Her father sighed.
"Audrey, don't be dramatic."
She picked up her bag.
"I'm not."
Then the doorbell rang.
Everyone froze.
Her mother looked confused.
"Who could that be?"
Audrey knew.
She closed her eyes.
"Oh, no."
Ethan frowned.
"What?"
The doorbell rang again.
Her father went to answer it.
A moment later, a deep voice came from the hallway.
"Good evening. I'm Dominic Serrano."
Victor Hale stood so abruptly that his chair scraped against the floor.
Audrey turned.
Dominic appeared in the doorway.
Dark suit.
Black coat.
The same unreadable expression he'd worn on the train.
Daniel stood discreetly behind him.
Dominic looked at Audrey.
Then at the room.
Then at Ethan, who was still pointing toward the door.
"Am I interrupting?"
Audrey stared.
"You could say that."
Dominic's gaze moved to Victor.
For the first time, his expression hardened.
"Victor."
Victor swallowed.
"Dominic."
Ethan looked between them.
"You two know each other?"
Dominic ignored him.
He looked at Audrey.
"Would you like to leave?"
She hesitated.
Then nodded.
"Yes."
Ethan scoffed.
"Of course. Running away again."
Dominic turned toward him.
His voice was quiet.
"Not tonight."
The room fell silent.
May you like
He stepped beside Audrey.
"Tonight, she's leaving because she chooses to. And she won't be leaving alone."
