Chapter 2

Connor's face hardened. "Dahlia is different. She understands our world. She's more family than your mother ever was."

The feeling in my gut wasn't just anger anymore. It was something more basic, more animalistic. The urge to attack.

I kept my voice dangerously calm. "So, let me get this straight. You are sending me, your wife, the woman who funds this entire family, on a dangerous commercial flight alone."

"The motorcade is full," he said, waving a dismissive hand. "I had to cancel your spot to make room for Dahlia's luggage."

He had the nerve to try and smile at me, a pathetic, placating gesture.

"Besides, you're strong, Jenna. You're a survivor. You can handle it. Think of it as an adventure."

I stared at him, the words echoing in the silent room. An adventure. He was calling a potentially lethal journey an adventure.

"The route you booked for me," I said, my voice dropping to a whisper. "It goes through the most dangerous territory on the continent."

"So? Dahlia gets anxious in secure motorcades, and you don't. Why should she be uncomfortable while you travel in safety and style?" he asked, as if it was the most logical thing in the world.

My eyes flickered to his father, General Hopkins. The man who supposedly lived by a code of honor. I looked at him, pleading with my eyes for him to say something. Anything.

He looked away, busying himself with a loose thread on his jacket. A coward.

Beverley stepped forward, placing a hand on my arm. Her touch felt like a spider.

"Jenna, dear," she cooed, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "Connor is the man of the house. He knows what's best. Dahlia is our guest. It's only right that we make her feel comfortable."

Kourtney chimed in, her voice filled with the casual cruelty of youth. "Yeah, Jenna. You're always so tough. Dahlia is delicate. You can't expect her to rough it."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I looked around at their faces-my husband, his parents, his sister.

"Who is the family here?" I asked, my voice shaking with a rage so profound it felt like it could crack the foundation of the house. "You're treating an outsider, a guest, like she's your true family, and me, your wife, like I'm a stranger."

I pointed a trembling finger at Connor. "You're treating her like she's your wife."

Connor's eyes flashed with anger. "Don't be ridiculous, Jenna."

"It's just a travel arrangement," he snapped. "Stop making a big deal out of nothing."

"Dahlia is our family," he repeated, his voice rising. "I can't let her travel alone or feel unsafe. It's my duty as a man, as a Hopkins, to protect her."

"So you'll sacrifice your wife to prove you're a good man to your ex-girlfriend?"

Just then, the grand double doors of the foyer swung open.

Dahlia Reynolds stood there, silhouetted against the morning light.

Kourtney squealed with delight. "Dahlia! You're here!"

She rushed forward, throwing her arms around the other woman. "I've missed you so much! Come on, let me get your bags."