"Evan," Franklin said quietly, his voice so cold it scraped the air, "do you want me to mess you up?"
Tristan startled at the tone. He turned sharply, eyes flicking between his father and the phone on speaker, trying to reconcile that icy threat with the man he knew.
Franklin rarely raised his voice, never like this. The silence that followed on the other end of the line stretched long enough to feel intentional.
When Evan finally spoke, his voice was tight, offended. "Cass, I won't forgive you for this. How could you put me on speaker without telling me?"
Cassie stood frozen near the desk, the phone resting flat against the polished wood as if it might burn her. She exhaled slowly, already exhausted. These men had a way of pushing her emotions into corners she didn't want to
