Chapter Two

Emma's POV

"Let go of me." The girl struggles. "My brother told me to wait for him here."

"Then say his name."

Chloe's grip tightens, and the girl's pale wrist starts to go red.

"Can't do it? You snuck into a private party and you're standing in the VIP section. I've got every reason to think you stole something."

The girl's black dress looks simple enough, but the cut and the lines say otherwise, and the watch on her wrist alone costs more than a car.

She doesn't need to steal anything.

Two bodyguards hesitate before moving in.

I push through the crowd and grab one of their arms.

"This is your engagement party." I look at Chloe. "Check the guest list. No need to search her."

"You know her?"

"No."

"Then why are you sticking up for her?" Something ugly flashes in Chloe's eyes. "Or did you send her here to make a scene?"

Fine. I already gave her a chance to walk it back.

She's pushing it, so whatever happens next is on her.

I let go and step back. Chloe takes it as me backing down.

"Search her bag." She raises her voice. "Anything goes wrong, it's on me."

The moment the bodyguard's hand touches the girl's purse, the front doors of the hall get shoved open from outside.

Cold air and snow blow in.

A tall man walks in. Dark overcoat, only two men trailing behind him, and every guest near the door steps aside without being asked.

Someone murmurs, "That's Nathan Hale."

The Hale family controls most of the docks and the construction unions on Chicago's North Side. Nathan's run the family for five years and hasn't lost a single negotiation.

The girl spots him and breaks free of Chloe, running straight for him.

"She's saying I'm a thief," she says. "She wants them to search me!"

Nathan pulls off his gloves and checks his sister's reddened wrist first.

"Grace, are you hurt?"

"No, but she wouldn't let me go."

Nathan pulls her behind him, then finally looks at Chloe.

"Who gave you the right to search her?"

The color drains from Chloe's face. She reaches for Derek's arm on instinct, and he yanks his hand back.

"There's been a misunderstanding." Derek steps forward fast. "We had no idea Miss Grace would be here."

"So if she wasn't my sister, it'd be fine to search her?"

Sweat beads on Derek's forehead. "Of course not. Chloe just takes party security seriously."

"Does she."

Nathan turns his head slightly. The man behind him heads straight for the security room.

Derek tries to stop him, but with dozens of eyes on the hall, he can't do anything without making it worse.

A few minutes later, the footage comes up on the screen in the hall.

Derek's been making small talk with family reps the entire time. Chloe tried to loop her arm through his more than once, and he kept sidestepping without making it obvious. She stood alone for over ten minutes before she spotted Grace and stormed over with her bodyguards.

Looks like she just needed someone weaker than herself to take the heat.

Whispers spread fast through the room.

Nathan turns to Derek. "We were set to hand the Sullivan family thirty percent of the new dock's earnings tonight. That's off the table now."

Derek's mouth twitches.

The whole hall erupts.

The new dock connects the rail yard to the shipping lines, and thirty percent means tens of millions a year. It also means Derek loses his shot at extending his reach into the North Side.

Chloe finally realizes what she's just cost him.

"You can't cancel it over one misunderstanding."

"It's not just getting canceled." Nathan looks at me. "The Whitfield family's been consolidating its shipping lines lately, hasn't it?"

Every eye in the room turns to me.

I meet Nathan's gaze. "That's right."

"Thirty percent of the dock's earnings and operating rights go to you."

I don't bother with false modesty. I raise my glass straight away. "Whitfield will have an operating proposal ready within the week."

Taking over the dock means taking food right out of Derek's hands in front of everyone. My footing isn't solid yet, and Father might still cave to old alliances and hand it back.

But if I let this pass, I won't get another shot like this to turn the family around.

Nathan nods, then turns to Derek.

"Keep your woman on a leash or don't bring her out in public."

Derek's face goes stiff like he's been slapped. He grabs Chloe's arm and practically drags her out of the hall. She tries to explain herself, but one look from him and she shuts her mouth.

The engagement party hasn't even started, and the two of them have already made their exit.

Guests start filtering out. Some come up to trade business cards with me, others just watch to see if I can survive whatever payback the Sullivan family sends my way.

I'm heading for the estate gates when Grace catches up to me.

"Wait!" She holds out her phone. "You're the only one who spoke up for me tonight. Can I get your number?"

I've just finished typing it in when Nathan walks out too.

"Emma Whitfield?" he asks.

"That's me."

He nods, something passing behind his eyes.