Page 35 of Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

"Yes. The atmospheric controls are stable now."

"Good." Victor turned to our group. "This is Ethan Stark. His firm insures the artwork and collections both here and within the entire resort. The premiums are astronomical, but then, so are the security requirements."

"Only the best for the best," Ethan said. "Excuse me."

As Victor moved us toward a painting on the wall and began to talk about its history, I was distracted by Ethan's movements around the gallery. He seemed to be checking camera angles while appearing to only casually observe us, but I had a feeling that he wasn't missing anything, and that it wasn't an accident he was here while Andrew and I were here. He probably wondered how two people he thought were thieves had found their way into Victor's private art gallery months after being the last people to escape from a fire at Victor's hotel. If I didn't know us, I'd be suspicious, too.

As I grew bored with Victor's story, I wandered toward another glass case displaying a ceremonial mask. It was very ornate, making me wonder what it had been used for, but not enough that I wanted to ask about it.

"Not your thing?" Bennett asked as he joined me. "You look as bored as I feel."

"I'm just tired. I'm really impressed by all this. I've never seen these kinds of treasures in someone's home."

"Lucky you. All the houses I've lived in have felt more like museums than homes."

"I guess you didn't inherit your father's love of history."

"Not even a little. I don't care about the past; I'm interested in the future. I liked the idea of a signature diamond bracelet with an unbreakable heart. We could sell the hell out of that."

"I agree."

"Good. Tell my father that."

"I'm sure he would listen to you over me."

"I'm the last person he listens to," Bennett said, disgust lacing his voice. "Have you heard that rumor about him selling off some of our properties?"

I could see the anger in his eyes, and I didn't want to feed that fire. "Your father said it's not true, so I would believe him over anyone else."

"Maybe. But my father is good at keeping secrets. He doesn't show his cards unless he has to."

"That's probably why he's so successful."

"That's the problem; he isn't that successful anymore. That's why there are rumors. He's stuck in the past, entertaining traditional media instead of the people who are actually influencing customer behavior. But I'm going to show him that there is a new path forward, and I'm leading the way." He paused. "Which is why I'm going to need you and Andrew to sell your story this afternoon on the trail ride."

"Right. I'm not a big fan of horses."

"I don't care," he said. "We just threw you the wedding of the century. This is part of your job. I have three influencers who are avid horse riders and want to see more of the property. They also want to get to know you and Andrew better. They don't just care about the resort; they're buying into the love story because they know it will add to their content."

"We'll be there, and we'll do our best to entertain."

"Do better than that. We got a lot of great shots and video from the wedding, but there were also a ton of photos with you looking like you were about to go to the dentist and have a root canal. I don't want anyone to think there's trouble in paradise." He paused, his gaze narrowing. "There isn't any trouble, is there?"

"No. Why would you ask that? We just got married yesterday."

"I saw Andrew several times yesterday with a very attractive woman who was not you."

I let out a sigh.Would I never escape Allison?

"She's a friend of his and an interior designer, who wants to work on the hillside villas," I said.

"So I heard. My mother isn't happy about that. You might want to tell Andrew to stop pushing attractive women into my father's path. That doesn't usually end well for my mother." He blew out an irritated breath. "I need a drink."

As he left the room, I wandered around, pausing in front of an empty display case. I wondered what was going to go on the small shelf in the middle of the case.

Ethan suddenly appeared at my side. "You know you're looking at nothing, right?" he asked dryly.

"What's going in this case?"

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