At my sister’s wedding, the groom’s family looked me up and down like I was nothing. ‘People like her should know their place,’ his father sneered, proudly bragging about their power inside a major corporation. I said nothing—because none of them knew I owned that corporation. They laughed at me in public… but before the night was over, someone was going to lose far more than their pride.

She stepped closer and lowered her voice enough to sound sharper. “People from modest backgrounds sometimes feel uncomfortable at events like this, so it helps if they understand their place.”

Abigail’s smile vanished instantly. “Diana, please.”

“It’s all right,” I said quietly while keeping my tone calm.

Leonard adjusted his cufflinks and added, “Our organization does not reward weakness or embarrassment which is why we remain successful.”

Their organization.

That was the moment I almost laughed aloud.

Leonard Whitaker held a comfortable title within a regional division of our company, and Connor had recently entered a midlevel strategy role thanks to internal recommendations rather than exceptional performance. They possessed just enough status to intimidate strangers yet nowhere near enough visibility to recognize the person running the corporation they kept bragging about.

I said nothing because Abigail deserved peace on her wedding day.

Then Leonard turned slightly and the inside of his jacket shifted just enough to reveal a gold badge clipped near the pocket. The badge displayed the emblem of NorthBridge International’s Executive Leadership Council.