A Scorned Heir's Reckoning

at public reprimand and forced apology

but also a budding arroga

r loyalty was to the Vanderbilts, to Ethan, the

, to curb any rebellious spir

' s feigned injury in Aspen, final

t been cruel; he'

s not for sale, not for Vanderbilt opportunitie

d solely t

ong-ago humiliation. He' d wanted to tell her

o, so tender with him, the memory of his p

. She' d been playing a role then

he audience and the authe

ake off the bi

nda included a charity sailin

ather had insisted on it, anothe

, a fact she' d kept quiet until she' d effortles

was on another boat, along with Leo, who was "gamely" participatin

sails, trying to lose himself

d the di

s boat was cutting thr

udden, sh

on his main

ng wildly, u

houting a warni

violently, threat

o regain control, but the brok

aw her glance over, her expre

ghing at something he said,

nap. She wasn' t looking at hi

lake water washing over him as his bo

was hoarse

e seem to regist

orders to her own crew, expertly

she was there, shouting instruction

ring his flailing boom, hel

damage w

been thrown against the side, his sh

ing pain shot

cold, and his a

tor confirmed it: a dislocated

y all concern, h

ith what sounded like genuine remorse. "I should ha

elp him, to "atone"

his arm was in a sling, Izz

h small tasks he couldn' t manage one-han

eticulous, alm

was co

parent concern, it almost made h

t her personality. Maybe s

ry of her devotion to Leo at the gala momen

they were due to leave

n his shoulder and was wandering the qui

ially open door

ce. And Chl

e rigging went?" Chloe was sayin

plied, her voice low, cool. "A little scare. Payback for L

his blood t

essed. "Izzy, you' re ruthless

o the rope, just enough to fray it so it would give under pressure. I didn

of si

ightingale act?" Chloe a

ation. And it keeps him confused. Makes him

eart pounding, a cold dr

as nothing compared to the

ence. It was deli

d his boat. She

," was just another layer of

"injury" to Leo that

lty, her calculated d

a wave o

"captivating" I