Page 156 of Delilah In Discretion

“I’ve heard some talk about him making an appearance… so yes, I do believe so.”

Luca nodded and took a sip of his drink from the glass again. He tried to hide his smile but, in the end, failed.

“What are you planning to do, Luca?” I asked him seriously, and he gave me a look.

“Why does everyone think I have something mischievous up my sleeve? I simply want the truth to prevail. Is that too much to ask for? Secrets, lies,discretion—it all catches up to us at some point, and with Papa Bear Killian coming home to it all, the truth will set us free—or maybe it won’t.”

Sterling and I remained silent as he tilted his head in thought.

“You know what I love, Archer? No? Do you know, Little Red?” he questioned, referring to Sterling’s ginger hair, and I rolled my eyes at his antics. “I loveblackmail... It’s fun when someone has the control, the upper hand, if you will. But Idespise and loathelittle girls getting into things they shouldn’t and figuring out what they shouldn’t know. And maybe, just maybe, you know something that you shouldn’t... just like her.”

Obviously we knew, but I’d never explicitly admit that fact. Like he said, he already had the upper hand—but why? Why involve my brother, Stephan, get in touch with Michael, threaten Ivory… go through all this trouble, trying to dig for secrets that would be better left untouched? What was he trying to accomplish at the end of all this?

“What are you getting at?” I asked, infuriated, and he smiled.

“All I am requesting is that you let tonight’s events simply play out. No need to point fingers, alert anyone, or draw any conclusions… otherwise, my secret isn’t the only one to be revealed at dinner.”

He wants to blackmail me.Eventually, Killian will learn the truth about our relationship, but if something other than what we’ve planned goes down tonight and we tell our families of Luca’s involvement, he’ll reveal our relationship to Killian. Tonight was supposed to be Eugene on trial and in the hot seat, not Delilah or me… not yet, at least.

“If I’m being honest… I feel like I’m about to shit my pants,” Sterling muttered for the hundredth time this week.

Luca pouted. “It’s okay to be scared, Little Red. After all, the wolves are coming out to play.”

I stared at him silently, his smile plastered to his face. He’d cornered us.

We were still going to attempt to reveal Eugene’s connection to my father, but no one knew about the murders yet. That wasstill, hopefully, something between me, Delilah, Kimiko... and now Luca.

Fuck, something is going to go wrong tonight, and not in the way we’ve planned.

Chapter fifty-five

Archer

Disregarding both of them, my head darted over to Pierce, opening the front door. The Masahiko family entered first with Kimiko and her parents, and Sterling ran over to Kimiko to complain about his encounters with my father and Luca.

Shin stayed impassive, watching them as his wife calmed Sterling down. Blaine and Maia entered next, and I took note of how he was trying to look at the nearest exit points. And last but not least... the Russels. Killian entered reluctantly as Brielle held his hand, and Zachary wasn’t far behind. I bit my lip as the only person I had been waiting for this entire time entered the room.

Even after being confronted by her biological father and mother in the same week, she still lit up the room with her presence—it was almost magical.

Noticing my gaze, she looked over to me and averted her eyes. A blush rose to her face, and her lavender dress and short white cardigan made her look more adorable than she already was. I tried to hide my growing smile, but I stopped immediately when I felt Killian’s eyes on me.

He appeared oblivious to our interaction, but he seemed keen on letting me know he was watching me. I couldn’t blame him. Our last interaction wasn’t exactly the best, and he’s probably sour that he didn’t have another comeback.

“So glad you all could join us,” Vivienne said with a smile. My father stood beside her with a slightly sinister one.

“Yes, it’s always fun to be in the same room with the man who wants me dead. Speaking of Killian, how are you?” he asked.

Killian sighed. “At the moment, I’m doing my best to remain civilized. Brielle seems to think that would be a better approach for me to take during stressful situations,” he answered.

My father tilted his head. “I couldn’t agree more. Now, onto the patio. Dinner is soon to be served, and I would like to… catch up, if you will, before we get straight to the point and discuss business matters. Pierce, please be so kind as to provide champagne and wine for our guests. White wine still your favorite, Brielle?” he asked.

The room went silent for a moment. My father had this stupid look in his eyes, and it was unclear if Blaine or Shin knew Brielle was pregnant. I only learned about it because Delilah told me, but my father must have figured it out another way.

Brielle sighed heavily as she gave him a grin. “You know me well, Calvin.”

He chuckled, “I know you well enough, Brielle...” His unwavering smile showed he was still waiting for her to speak.

She shook her head. “Although white wine is my favorite, I cannot have any at the moment because... I’m pregnant.”

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