I took another step forward, standing just behind a large marble pillar near them.

My heart hammered against my ribs as I watched them.

“Tell me where Clara is, and maybe we can walk out of here without a scene,” Rowan said.

Tessa let out a soft, mocking laugh.

“You think you can threaten me in my own home?” she asked.

She leaned closer to him, her face inches from his.

“You have no power here, Rowan,” she whispered.

“I have enough to tear this family apart, starting with your father’s accounts,” Rowan said.

Tessa’s eyes narrowed, a flash of genuine anger breaking through her icy facade.

“You wouldn’t dare,” she said.

“Try me,” Rowan replied.

Tessa took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling against the white silk of her dress.

She looked around the room, ensuring no one was close enough to hear her next words.

She didn’t see me standing in the shadow of the pillar.

“If you touch those accounts, your little girl dies,” Tessa said softly.

Rowan’s jaw tightened, a muscle jumping in his cheek.