Page 168 of Temporary Vows

I take my seat beside Knox and set the folder Salvatore sent me face down on the table.

Everyone in this room thinks they know why we're here. Damage control. To talk about me and the situation with Jack.

They're wrong.

I know who the mole is. And they're sitting at this table.

I always thought this day would feel better. Like redemption and retribution.

It doesn’t. It hits differently.

Dad pulls out his chair and sits. All eyes turn to him.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” he begins, his gaze sweeping the table. “I’ll keep this brief. Some of you are already aware that someone has been actively trying to bring us down for years. Today, we had another leak. Another story in the press designed to damage this family, and the image of this company.” He pauses, allowing the weight of his words to settle over the room.

“A thorough investigation has now been conducted.” His voice is measured, each word landing like a carefully placed chess piece. “It has been ongoing for some time, and I want to assure everyone at this table that no stone has been left unturned.”

The air in the room shifts. My brothers all look at me. I almost feel bad that I didn’t get to speak to them first. But this is better.

Dad folds his hands on the table. "Dorian, please show us what you have."

I open the folder and take out the documents Salvatore provided—solid evidence no one can refute.

As expected, the mole already looks uncomfortable.

“These documents show every instance in which our systems were hacked and our private lives were breached.” I tap the table once, then slide the document over to Parker.

He has the audacity to look at me as if I’ve lost my mind.

“Why are you showing me?” he snaps, trying to hold my gaze.

“So you can see what I found on you, motherfucker.” It’s him. But he had help. “And you.” I shove the document with the evidence from last night over toUncle Richard.

Last night was Parker’s doing. I should’ve guessed from the spite behind it. I’d embarrassed him in a restaurant, so he decided to return the favor.

Everything else had been a joint effort. Parker just slipped up. He was at the restaurant last night, and when he called his father, he did it without the additional detection blocker they’d been using. He left it off by mistake.

The footage from the CCTV cameras showed him smiling as Jack was led away and Elodie fell apart.

Everyone is looking at both of them, stunned.

“This is madness,” Parker argues, his voice rising.

“I think the evidence speaks for itself, son,” Dad says, then turns his gaze to Richard. It must be hard knowing your younger brother could betray you like this. I don’t know what I would do if it were one of my brothers. My father is the same with Richard as I am with them—so close they feel like they’re a part of you.

Richard finally looks up and meets my father’s eye. Gone is the soft, welcoming façade, the persona I used to take comfort in. In its place is a stern face devoid of remorse, and it makes me sick.

“What do you want me to say?” he finally says, meeting each of us with a hateful look in his eyes. “Sorry? No. You won’t get an apology from me.”

“How about a fucking explanation!” Dad slams a fist into the table and glares at Richard like he wants to rip him apart.

“Sure. I suppose it’s the least I can do.”

“Damn right, it fucking is.” I never seen my father look so enraged.

“When our father passed and you took control of the company, you had the power to change the legacy rules, but you didn’t,” Richard grates out. “I worked just as hard as you. Like these boys here, we worked together to make the company the empire it is today, but I was never rewarded the same. I asked you to change the rules so my son and my daughters could share the legacy too, but you refused.”

Fucking hell. So this is what it was all about. Legacy and power.