Page 126 of Lush

I narrowed my eyes. “So what did my mother ask you to do?”

His gaze darkened slightly. “She wanted me to push through a zoning law that would give King Enterprises control over half the commercial properties downtown. It would’ve driven out smaller businesses, cut off other families, and locked in your family’s control for another generation. I refused.”

“And that was it?” I asked, because it was never that simple.

Dante let out a quiet laugh, something sharp and knowing. “Of course not. She didn’t just walk away. She started sabotaging me—backroom deals, under-the-table payoffs, making sure any investor who backed me suddenly had a reason to back out.” He tilted his head. “You really didn’t know?”

I pressed my lips together. No, I hadn’t known. But I also wasn’t surprised.

“She plays the game better than you,” I said.

Dante exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. Then he leaned in slightly, his voice low and almost amused. “I’m the one with blackmail on you, Laurene. It’s smart to be nice to me.”

I leaned forward just a little, eyes narrowing. “And if I don’t want to play your game?”

“I’ll find another way,” he replied easily, as if the whole thing was inevitable. “But I’m hoping we can work together. For both our sakes.”

I didn’t respond immediately. Instead, I sat back in my chair, studying him.

“So what exactly is your vision for Lush, Dante?”

“Lush has been a closed system for too long. Same families. Same power. Same cycle.” He gestured vaguely. “But I don’t want to destroy the old system completely. We just need to modernize it—bring in new investments, new ideas, and newopportunities. Not just for me, but for the whole town. It can work if somebody would just listen.”

“You’re being stonewalled then?”

“Bingo.” He nodded. “It’s only so much I can do. I need friends.”

“Why me? I just got back.”

“Because I’ve been watching you, Laurene. For the past six years, while you were in Paris, I saw how you worked your way up—by yourself. You didn’t need anyone’s help. You left everything behind, even your family, and you built something from scratch. You earned respect. That wasn’t the same Laurene we used to see here. The way you think, the way you see things differently than your mother—you prove the old families can change.”

I blinked, caught off guard by his words. “You’ve been following me?”

“See? I could have told everyone where you were. I didn’t. Doesn’t that mean you can trust me?”

“Obviously, you know my help is not free.”

“I know your upcoming exhibit is important to you, Laurene. I also know how costly these things can get. I’m prepared to make a substantial donation to the gallery in your favor. And when the time comes, you’ll support me. No questions asked.”

I’d been pushing the limits of the gallery’s budget, and the financial strain was beginning to show. A donation could give me the leverage I needed my exhibit to the next level, even if I had to do some dancing to make sure it didn’t come with strings I didn’t want.

But I had connections. I could get donations for the gallery another way. And I could get Dante’s substantial donation to replace my inheritance, in case my mother didn’t come through on our deal.

If he was offering money, why not ask for more? Enough to cover my gallery, let me build a safety net for myself, and finally free me from my mother’s grip. With that kind of cash, Iwouldn’t have to accept my inheritance and could walk away from her control entirely. No need to play by her rules anymore.

Dante clearly had some sort of power, and now he was at a stalemate. I just had to know.

“Tell me about your relationship with Toby.”

Dante laughed. “Toby? You care about him? What does your husband say about that?”

“Just answer the question. You’re trying to convince me, remember?”

“He owes me.”

I crossed my arms.“For what?”

“For keeping his secrets. For keeping him standing when he should have drowned. Shall I go on?”

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