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And said I was being cruel to Warren.
Another sip.
And cut me loose as if I would ever hurt him.
And another.
Her emotions swelled as she remembered the look on Cole’s face when he’d agreed that she should leave. Betrayals were difficult—whether done by someone else or self-inflicted when ignoring a resolve not putting one’s heart on the line again.
Jillian felt foolish for giving her power away. She tipped her head back to empty the glass before looking into its emptiness and feeling a kinship. Her tears replaced the wine. They fell with far too much ease.
And that, too, felt like a betrayal.
With a cry that was as jagged as the cuts to her heart, she gripped the glass before throwing it against the wall to shatter.
Eleven
All five Cress brothers were sitting in the den of the family townhouse. There was no staff. The kitchen, living room and dining room were empty. Silence ruled the room.
Phillip Junior paced in front of the elaborate fireplace, lit to help heat the room.
Sean chuckled at videos on his cell phone as he lounged near the closed patio doors.
Gabe refilled his brandy snifter from atop the wide glass-and-brass bar beneath the seventy-inch television on the wall.
Lucas lounged in one of the light gray suede chairs as he texted away on his phone.
Cole eyed them from where he leaned against the entryway between the den and dining room.
“Does anyone know what this meeting is about?” Phillip Junior asked.
Cole and Gabe shared a look.
Lucas frowned, looking up just as they did. “Care to share?” he asked, his voice as deep as his brothers’ and father’s.
That drew the curious stares of the other Cress brothers.
“Maybe they’re ready to announce the new CEO,” Phillip Junior said, sounding hopeful.
Sean leaned forward to set his elbows atop his knees as he looked from Cole to Gabe. “Did you get it?” he asked Gabe, speaking everyone’s awareness that the middle child—the good one—was favored for the position.
“Remember, I made it clear I don’t want it,” Gabe said before glancing at his watch. “My restaurant and the position I have at the company is enough on my plate.”
All eyes landed on Cole.
“Really?” he asked in disbelief. “Me? Don’t be foolish.”
“Right.” Phillip Junior looked reassured by the reminder that Phillip Senior and Cole had a turbulent relationship.
Cole frowned. Deeply. “I would point out the disgust I feel for you enjoying that I don’t have the greatest relationship with our father, but you have enough to tackle tonight, big brother,” he said, glancing at his watch.
“What the hell does that mean?” Phillip Junior exclaimed.
“Cole,” Gabe intervened.
Footsteps echoed throughout the house. The men all shifted their gaze as their mother and father crossed the kitchen and stepped into the stylish den. Nicolette gave them each a soft smile, looking pretty and regal in the fuchsia pantsuit she wore with her hair pulled back into a low ponytail. In his three-piece suit, Phillip Senior’s face seemed more severe as he placed an arm around his wife’s shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“We have some news to share...” their father began, his British accent echoing.
