“Derek,” Nathan Sinclair said, the corner of his mouth twisting with reluctant acceptance, “what Vivian did this time isn’t some petty family quarrel. It’s a real crime. Marcus and I are only doing what’s reasonable. You already knew the truth yesterday, didn’t you?”
Derek’s face flushed with shame. After learning the full extent of Vivian’s actions the day before, he had sworn he would no longer pity her. Yet the moment she had thrown herself at his feet, sobbing and pleading, that resolve had cracked.
Marcus Sinclair’s voice cut through the silence, cold and final. “If Naomi hadn’t been lucky, she would still be in the emergency room right now. Do you want her to look at you with disappointment?”
The words landed like a blade. Derek’s expression hardened. The last trace of hesitation
