“Can I get you anything else, Mr. Romano?” I asked, keeping my voice polite and slightly tremulous.

He wiped his mouth with a white linen napkin.

“You look pale, Harper,” he said.

“I hope the work isn’t getting to you.”

“It’s not the work,” I said, looking down at my shoes to play the part of a defeated adversary.

“I spoke with my lawyer, Denise.”

Seraphina leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand.

“And what did your little lawyer have to say?” she asked.

“We realize we might have rushed into things,” I said, my voice shaking slightly.

“We don’t want any trouble.”

“Smart girl,” Nico said, leaning back in his leather chair.

“There is no need to drag old family history through the courts.”

“We are pausing the filing,” I said.

“I just want to keep my job here, and I want my friends to be left out of this.”

Nico stared at me for a long moment, his dark eyes analyzing my expression.

“Your friends are perfectly safe, as long as you remain sensible,” he said.

“I appreciate your cooperation.”