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But maybe Serena had a point. We would always see Alec as that teenage boy weeping by our mother’s grave, the kid whose heart was made of gold but was perhaps a tad oversensitive because of the women who had raised him.
Serena grabbed her portfolio from the center of the table and pointed at us. “No funny business. I mean it. If you don’t have anything better to do than destroy your brother’s life, then I’ll keep you all so busy that you won’t have time for a life.”
She tipped her chin toward Addison. “Addy, I need quarterly numbers for the Zensen account.”
She threw Ryanne a pointed look. “You, no Brandy stalking. You need to upload all the new pics for Kallie’s account on Instagram before the launch.”
She turned to Brooke. “Brooke, draw up the new proposals for those prospects we talked about.”
Then, Serena’s stern gaze landed on me. “Work is light for you because you said you’d help with the wedding planning. And when I saywedding planning,” she enunciated, “I mean, planning a successful wedding, not destroying it, okay?”
Even in all her bossiness, I could see her deep love for my brother in her hazel eyes.
But I didn’t care. She couldn’t boss me around.
I smiled my sweetest smile. “Okay.”
Serena gritted her teeth. “I mean it, Syd.”
“I said, okay.” I blinked a few times, feigning innocence, which she damn well knew, but I didn’t care.
Serena’s lips thinned into a straight line before she opened the boardroom door and walked out. I collapsed in my chair, utterly annoyed. Why couldn’t I do a little digging? I’d rather dig and dig and find out that Brandy wasn’t who I thought she was than sit here and do nothing when I knew in my gut that she was guilty.
“So … it looks like Brandy is having lunch at Leo’s,” Ryanne said, showing us her cell, one side of her mouth slipping up into a sly grin. “Glad the girl posts everything on Instagram.”
“You guys,” Addison warned weakly, pushing her glasses up her nose. Out of all of us, she was the last who would cross Serena.
Ryanne was already up from her seat. She patted Addison’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Addy. When have we not taken care of things? You get Serena those numbers and let the big girls get the job done.” She did the hand-gun thing, pretending to shoot it and then blow the fake smoke off the top. “Fitting’s tomorrow, so I’ll be busy after that, tailing the girl like the private investigator I will be in my next life.” She winked.
“How about me?” Brooklyn whined. “What can I do?”
Ryanne shrugged her shoulders. “Look pretty. That’s what you do best.”
Brooke’s eyes narrowed, and she flipped her blondish hair over her shoulder. “You’re a bitch.”
“Not denying that,” Ryanne said sweetly, unfazed, then gestured to me. “I’ll stalk her socials and text you if I find anything.”
Addison followed her out, head down, trudging guiltily. Yep, it was better that we leave her out of this. If Serena caught us snooping, we’d all get a verbal beating, and one thing was for sure: Addison was the worst liar.
I stood from the table.
“I’m serious, Syd. What can I do?” Brooklyn’s beauty was undeniable, but in a way, it was her curse. It wasn’t fair really that my other sisters always counted her out. In business, she landed almost every deal. She was the face of our company, the one who wined and dined our prospects. “Can I pick up Lyria?” Lyria was our sister who had moved to New York. “I’ll take that off your plate.” Brooklyn’s face brightened, giving me a smile so like our mother’s that my chest tightened.
“Serena said she’s picking her up. You can go with her if you want.”
Lyria and I were the closest in age, but I was older by just a smidgen.
Brooklyn’s smile dimmed just a tad, and then she tipped her chin. “I think I’ll do that. I miss that stinker.”
Lyria had upped and left us years ago, not long after our mother died, unable to handle the stress and my father’s neglect.
I … well, I just ignored my father altogether. I understood people grieved differently. I didn’t condone his behavior, but the more I dwelled on it, the angrier I got, and why waste energy on the negative?
Our family had been through so much already, and we were all we had.
I would do everything in my power to prevent this family from having any more heartache. Alec especially.
CHAPTER2
