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“Your back looks terrible,” Lief says. “Food is on the way.”

“You!” Hunter comes out in a towel, still wet with his curly hair all mused. He points at Lief again. “We didn’t talk about you getting our fiancée something so impressive. Now Chase and I are going to-”

Lief arches an eyebrow. “Out do me? You can try.”

“Oh, that’s a challenge I’m taking,” Chase weighs in.

“Don’t forget-” Hunter starts. I can see where he’s going already, though.

“No money conversations in this house!” I yell.

All three men look at me, and I narrow my eyes. “We’re going to be nice and supportive with one another otherwise ...”

“This sounds like an ultimatum,” Chase growls.

“It’s ... advice. If you’re not nice to each other, small things and passive aggressiveness will only become full hostility and I want my future husbands happy with each other and with me,” I say.

Lief walks over and kisses me. “This is just the first gift. I have another, but I’m saving it.”

“Lief,” I breathe.

“An early wedding present as long as everything works out properly,” he says with a wink.

Lief heads back downstairs in just his pajama pants. Hunter huffs. “Lief can walk around like that in winter.”

“Let’s see your sexy silk jammies,” I tease.

He smirks and gets dressed in silk pajamas, matching top and bottom. Chase and I take a nice bath, enjoying the warmth. He plays with the ring he gave me. “Are you happy with us?”

“Yes. I worry about you, but-”

“And not Hunter or Lief? That sounds suspiciously like an insult.”

“I worry about you but I know you can handle the stress of being the boss and your father when you don’t overthink it,” I finish while tapping his temple. “Don’t let him make you into anything you aren’t.”

THREE

Chase

I keepValerie’s words with me when I go to a meeting the next day. I know they’re necessary and I have to rub elbows with the right people to keep things moving, keep funds coming in and all that, but I don’t like it.

At least Hunter looks as annoyed as I do. I just wish we had Lief here as backup. Especially when I spot Hunter shooting a hateful glare at someone. I follow his gaze and see Andre there. He looks smug.

“Is your girlfriend not joining us today?” He asks Hunter, then to me. “Is that the right term for a woman who-”

The door opens, and he cuts himself off. People still fear my father and don’t fear me. He shouldn’t even be here. We’re done with his company. Instead of my father, Lief walks in. I give him a questioning look, but he gives nothing away. I clear my throat. “We’ll get started.”

“Without your father?” One man asks.

“My father doesn’t run this business. I do. You answer to me. Some alliances formed with my father have been wonderful. My brother and I have made a number of notes throughout the years,” I say while tapping my cigar on the ash tray.

All eyes are on me. I take a long puff, letting the silence grate on their nerves. My eyes focus on Andre. “Then again, things change. Times change. So, what are you all changing to keep up with the times and what can we all agree on to make tomorrow better?”

“This is about making business better,” an old guy wheezes.

“Businesses are legacies, but you should be worrying about the legacy you’re leaving. Is it just profits being put in the hands of greedy, spoiled children, or is it an empire that has left a mark on the city, the country?”

A few of the guys murmur in agreement. I nod once and fold my hands on the table. “So, let’s talk.”

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