I park near a set of gilded white double doors and stride up the stairs to knock. Normally, I would’ve brought flowers to a dinner such as this. But considering I’m now bound to Alana, it doesn’t seem right to bring another woman flowers, even if this is a business meeting.
The door opens, and I’m somewhat surprised to see Sylveria herself performing such a menial task. Her pale features are perfectly contoured and accentuated by bright red lipstick, and her dark hair is pulled back in a fierce bun. She stands regal and tall in a silk dress with sparkling accents. It is a flattering A-line that reaches her calves, and even her three-inch heels sparkle. A diamond pendant falls beneath her breasts, matching those at her ears.
“It must be nice to have diamonds as your talisman,” I say.
She smiles, revealing perfectly straight teeth. “It truly is. I don’t suppose you brought me one as a gift.”
“I don’t suppose I did.”
She gestures inside. “Hmm. We’ll have to work on your manners.”
I walk inside a five-story-high vestibule with a black marble floor polished to a high sheen. The chandelier above us is grand and sparkles with crystals, diamonds, and a few citrines. The citrine crystals surprise me, but I figure the chandelier needs them for balance, as it was obviously handcrafted years ago.
“Come in.” She leads the way to a great room with a portrait of her deceased husband over the silent fireplace, and into an already-set formal dining room. The grandeur of the place makes my back teeth clench.
Already seated at the long mahogany table are her two daughters and a man named Horace Whimple, who, it’s my understanding, is both the top programmer for TimeGem, and Sylveria’s love interest. There are rumors, which I care little about, that she and Horace have been together since their childhood days back in London.
He stares at me. He’s a stately man in his early sixties with a bald head and intelligent grayish-green eyes. His Armani suit fits him well. “Thorn.”
I stare right back. “Horace.”
Then I turn to the other two ladies at the table. “Stacia, Corinda, you both look lovely.” They both smile and twitter slightly.
I’m already irritated. They couldn’t look more different. Corinda is a tall blonde with short hair, and Stacia is a shorter brunette with hair a little past her shoulders. They both have their mother’s blue eyes.
Their father, I know from my research, died when they were young, and then Sylveria married Brooks Rendale, who also soon died.
I scout the room. “I’m still surprised you don’t bring your other daughter into the fold. Rumor has it she’s quite the computer guru.”
“Stepdaughter,” Sylveria says smoothly. “She’s estranged from the family.”
“Do you even know where she is?” I ask, cocking my head.
Sylveria waves a graceful hand in the air. “No, and I don’t care.”
I know exactly where she is. She’s an integral member of Alana’s inner circle. I wonder if that means she’s also now in my inner circle. The thought intrigues me.
“Please sit here.” Sylveria pulls out a chair across from her girls. Horace sits at the foot of the table, while Sylveria takes her place at the head. I have no doubt it’s the dynamic of the duo in the bedroom.
I sit, and almost instantly, five servers enter the room and place salads in front of us.
“I hope you like the menu tonight,” Sylveria says politely. “It’s steak with cheesecake for dessert. I understand that’s your favorite.”
My favorite dessert is Alana Beaumont. “All right.”
Horace pours wine in all the glasses, and it’s an excellent vintage. “To new friends,” he says, his eyes diamond hard, lifting a glass. We all do so.
I have two security teams on Alana right now, and I know her father has at least three. Last time I checked, the Sokolovs are keeping one on her as well. It’s amazing the woman can go anywhere without tripping over a bodyguard or two. According to my men, she’s safely working away at Aquarius Social right now. Good. There’s nothing wrong with working late. I smile at the thought of honey.
The Rendale women instantly smile back. “So we thought it’d be nice to get to know you tonight and discuss a merger,” Sylveria says smoothly.
Stacia, the brunette, sighs. “I’ve studied you.”
“Have you, now?” I dig into my salad.
“Yes. You could benefit from combining diamonds, and possibly obsidian, with your garnet servers.”
She’s correct about the obsidian, because it runs in my family. “Why the diamonds?” I ask, curious.
“It’s the strongest stone,” she says. “We have found that combining diamonds with other crystals increases the strength of both.” She smiles, and her canine is slightly crooked, which makes her much more appealing and interesting. “However, you need somebody with an affinity and a connection to the diamonds to make it happen.”
I like her approach. It’s smart, and she doesn’t play games.
Corinda, the blonde, elbows her. “However, let’s be honest. Your social media influencers need help. They’re good, but they’re not nearly as good as somebody at the top would be.” Her gaze lashes across me and she emits a low hum from the back of her throat. “You’re obviously not interested in mind-melding with your followers.”
“God, no.” I sit back as our salad plates are quickly whisked away.
“I am.” Corinda smiles. “I have nearly five million followers on TimeGem Moments.”
Soup, some kind of pumpkin soup, is placed in front of me. “You don’t have as many as Alana Beaumont,” I say smoothly.
“No, but I’m close,” Corinda says, her bony shoulders going back. “If you and I combined, I could leave her in the dust.”
That is exactly the opposite of what I’m planning for Alana. I turn and look directly at Sylveria. “There are rumors going around about Malice Media. What have you heard?”
She delicately wipes the corners of her mouth, as if thinking. I know I’ve caught her off guard with a direct question.
“I’ve heard that you’re in trouble,” she says smoothly. “My sources tell me that Mathias Beaumont traded a garnet the size of an inflated puffer fish to you. You obviously required the garnet.”
