“He expects me to hide you in another cabin in the middle of nowhere.”

“Instead, we are going to walk right into his line of sight.”

I shook my head, my heart hammering against my ribs.

“No,” I said.

“I will not use my son as bait.”

“We are not bait,” Damon said, walking back to me.

“We are going to announce our reconciliation.”

“The annual Vale Foundation Gala is next Thursday.”

“Every major news outlet in the state will be there.”

“The entire board of directors will be there.”

“If we appear together, as a united family, Vance cannot touch us without exposing himself.”

“The public eye is our best shield,” Damon explained.

“And while he is watching us under the lights, my team will finish the job.”

I looked down at the package on the desk.

The white paper looked like a shroud in the dim light.

“It sounds like a trap,” I said.

“It is a trap,” Damon agreed.

“But I am the one setting it.”

Suddenly, the lights in the study flickered.