“Ethan, have you forgotten? Chloe was already expelled from the architectural community years ago for plagiarizing my design.
And besides, weren’t you just saying that expanding the team was what mattered most? If that’s the case, perhaps I should invite a few of the enemies your Miller Family betrayed back in the day to join as well. Surely that would be better than letting you fight your battles alone, wouldn’t it?”
His hand clenched on the edge of the desk, knuckles whitening.
“That’s different. She’s—”
“The orphan of the man who once helped your family through a crisis, isn’t she? And you need to give her a name, an identity.”
I let out a cold laugh.
“Tell me, Ethan, why must your gratitude be paid with my blood and sweat?
Since you’re so generous, I’ll be generous too. If you insist on pushing Chloe into my studio, then I see no reason not to invite a few of the Miller Family’s old victims to the table as well. Let them all ‘join the project.’”
I picked up a folder and shook a few invoices in the air.