Chapter 4

Grandpa William had been observing the exchange from a distance. He caught my eye and gave a subtle nod towards his study. I knew what that meant.

He was already there when I entered, standing by the window overlooking the vast gardens.

"Noah Carter," he said, without turning. "Are you serious about this, Emily?"

"Yes, Grandpa. I am."

"He's... not what I expected for you. Not what anyone expected."

"Perhaps that's a good thing," I replied. "The expected path didn't work out so well last time."

He turned then, his gaze sharp. "You're sure you're not just doing this to spite Ethan?"

"Ethan is irrelevant to my decision," I said firmly. "This is about what's best for WMG, and for me. Noah Carter is intelligent, capable, and from what I understand, his grandfather, General Carter, holds him in high regard. He also happens to be Arthur Hawke's grandson, which satisfies the alliance condition."

Grandpa William sighed. "Arthur will be... surprised. He adores Ethan, for all his faults. But General Carter is a man of integrity. If he vouches for Noah, then Noah has merit. And Arthur owes the General a great deal, both personally and professionally."

He paused. "Noah's parents... it was a tragedy. Loyal CIA operatives, killed in the line of duty. Left Noah an orphan. The General raised him. He's on the board of Hawke Energy, you know. A significant voice."

I knew. That was part of my calculation. Noah wasn't just some overlooked relative; he had a powerful, respected guardian with influence at Hawke Energy. And, crucially, he wasn't Ethan.

"I'll speak to Arthur," Grandpa William said finally. "And I'll arrange for you to meet Noah properly. If this is what you want, Emily, I'll support you."

"Thank you, Grandpa." Relief washed over me. His support was crucial.

The following month, Grandpa William's 75th birthday and charity gala was the event of the New York social season. It was also where my future, and the future of WMG, would be publicly cemented.

I was standing with Olivia, watching the guests arrive, when I saw her.

Sophia Bell.

She was on Ethan's arm, naturally, preening under the attention. But it wasn't her presence that made my blood freeze. It was the necklace she was wearing.

A delicate, antique platinum chain, from which hung a single, flawless, cornflower-blue sapphire, surrounded by a halo of tiny, brilliant-cut diamonds.

My mother's necklace.

It was a one-of-a-kind piece, designed by my great-grandfather for my great-grandmother, passed down through generations of Winston women. My mother had worn it on her wedding day. After her death, it had been kept in the family vault. There was no other like it in the world.

And Sophia Bell was wearing it.

Rage, cold and sharp, pierced through me. I excused myself from Olivia and walked directly towards them.

"Where did you get that necklace?" I demanded, my voice low and shaking.

Sophia touched it, a smug little smile playing on her lips. "Oh, this old thing?" she simpered. "Ethan gave it to me. Isn't he generous?"

Ethan put a possessive arm around her. "She admired it. I thought it suited her."

"That necklace belongs to my mother," I said, my voice rising despite my efforts to control it. "It belongs to the Winston family. It was in our vault. How did you get it, Ethan?"

He shrugged. "Connections, Emily. Everything is obtainable, for the right price, or the right... persuasion."

"You stole it," I accused, my gaze fixed on him. "You stole a family heirloom and gave it to... to her?"

Sophia let out a theatrical gasp. "Stole? How dare you! Ethan would never! He bought this for me, fair and square!"

"It's not for sale!" I cried, lunging for the necklace. I had to get it off her.

Sophia shrieked and stumbled back. Ethan pushed me, hard.

"Get your hands off her, Emily! You're hysterical!"

"That's my mother's necklace!" I screamed, tears blurring my vision. The pain of its desecration was a physical blow.

In the scuffle, as Ethan tried to shield Sophia and I tried to reach the necklace, it happened. The delicate chain snapped. The sapphire pendant, my mother's legacy, flew through the air and landed with a sickening crack on the marble floor.

Silence.

Then, a collective gasp from the onlookers.

The sapphire, that perfect, irreplaceable blue, was fractured. Ruined.

A sob escaped me. I sank to my knees, reaching for the broken pieces, oblivious to the stares, the whispers. My mother's necklace. Destroyed.