The funeral had ended less than an hour earlier and the air inside the boutique still carried the faint scent of lilies and rain from the cemetery outside San Aurelio.
Aubrey glanced again at my dress with open disdain and said, “You know the worst part about that outfit is how plain it looks, because Mom always loved dramatic designs and this dress feels almost invisible.”
I allowed myself a small smile before answering calmly, “Sometimes the most powerful designs appear simple until someone understands what they are truly looking at.”
Tyler rolled his eyes impatiently and said, “Listen Victoria, the world runs on numbers and investments, not fabric and fantasies, so perhaps you should start thinking about real work instead of hiding here.”
I considered reminding him that the financial regulators investigating his firm had already frozen several of his accounts, although the news would not become public until the following morning.
Gregory sighed deeply before speaking in a tired voice that carried more regret than authority and said, “Children, today should not become another battlefield because your mother would have hated that.”