“You have no business here,” Nathan said, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

“I have every business protecting what belongs to this family,” Eleanor replied, her gaze shifting to me.

She looked at my hands, which were still tucked behind my back.

“Give me whatever is in that box, Emily,” she said, holding out a gloved hand.

“No,” I said, my voice firmer than I expected.

“You are a guest in our world, girl,” Eleanor said, taking a step closer. “Do not mistake my son’s infatuation for actual power.”

Nathan stepped directly into her path, blocking her view of me.

“She is my wife, Mother, and she has more right to be here than you do,” he said.

“We will see about that,” Eleanor said, gesturing to the men in the hallway. “The board is meeting in two hours, Nathan.”

I took a deep breath and slid the envelope out from behind my back.

The red wax seal was thick, stamped with the intricate crest of the Vance family.

With my thumb, I pried at the edge of the wax until it cracked and crumbled onto the table.