“I’m not usually. I’m… Is it me, or is it really hot in here? I’m fine, really.” Emily pulled on the neckline of her dress. David resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he took her hands and held them tightly.
“You’re adorable. You know that, right?”
A tiny smile crept across her face in response.
“There we go, touch down,” David said in a soothing tone. The plane came to a stop and David took his eyes away from the window and looked at Emily who was visibly shaken in her seat. Thankfully, it was a short flight to Martha’s Vineyard.
Emily sat bolt upright and smoothed out her dress. “Thank goodness,” she said with a sigh of relief.
David stood and held out his hand for her.
“We need to get you a drink.”
Emily took his hand and the two of them made their way to the hatch. David glanced back at her periodically as they descended the metal steps to the ground. He wondered how she walked in those high heels. Despite her panic on the flight, she was putting on her confident act. She smiled breezily and flicked her hair back over her shoulder once they reached the ground.
A tall man, who some could mistake as himself, stood afar off. He raised a cut crystal highball to them as they approached.
“Nice to see you, baby brother,” he said, then broke into a smile and his nostrils flared as they locked eyes.
“Edward,” David replied curtly. They shook hands briefly before his brother turned to Emily.
“And this must be your mysterious wife?” He held out his hand for Emily. She squared her shoulders and shook his hand firmly. David smiled. She was used to dealing with rich, entitled men. His older brother was no exception.
“I’m Emily, nice to finally meet David’s mysterious brother.” Her response almost had David snort.
Good comeback.
They were standing on a small runway, and in the distance, David could see a glimpse of the summer house.
“Well, I’d love to stay here and continue this pleasant conversation, but I’m sorry to say, we do not have the luxury of time.” Edward turned and opened the car door to the Rolls Royce beside them.
“Time to see our dying grandmother.”
David clenched his jaw so hard he thought his teeth might crumble. He took Emily’s hand; this time it was his palms that were sweaty. Emily was completely composed. How does she do that?
Freak out one minute, then act cool and collected the next. He noted that Emily was holding his hand protectively. He appreciated the squeeze and her meaningful glance as they got into the car. She didn’t need to verbalize the words: I’m here for you.
Edward gestured to the small woman sitting in the back with them. “Catherine, you remember my brother? This is his lovely wife, Emma––”
“Emily.” David cut in. He glared at his brother, who sneered back at him. Edward’s eyes glinted, as his face twisted into a devilish grin.
Emily shook hands with Edward’s wife, then the women struck up a polite conversation, but David could not hear it; his ears were ringing and he ground his teeth.
Despite being close in age, their personalities could not be further apart. David was artistic and introverted. Edward was outspoken and analytical. David always wanted to do what was right for the family. Edward only cared about himself. Edward was not always selfish. The two of them used to be close, but his character changed when it was announced that he would inherit the entire family fortune.
They had not been in such close vicinity since the night Edward revealed his master plan.
“Father, David… I am glad you are both here, so that I can announce this to you simultaneously.” He spread his arms out wide and puffed out his chest proudly. They were standing in the private balcony of a theatre. His wife Catherine was the lead singer in the opera and it was opening night. The show had ended and people were starting to leave. It was now Edward’s turn to take center stage and make a disturbing announcement.
“As you know, I am to receive the remainder of Grandmother’s shares of the company,” he began matter-of-factly, as if it was not unreasonable or surprising. David and his father stared at him blankly.
“I wanted to make it clear that I have come to a decision regarding the direction I want to take the family name.” He lowered his arms and took a formal stance clasping his hands together in front of him. “I am going to sell the Marks hotel chain. I already have a potential buyer.”
David glanced over at his father, who remained quiet but the color drained from his face. He just stared at Edward, perhaps waiting for him to shout, “Got you! Just kidding. I’d never do that to the family name!” But that didn’t happen.
David got to his feet. “You want to sell us out? Does Grandmother know?”
Edward looked back at him frankly. “One word: Vegas.”
David and his father glanced at each other. “What?” they said in unison.
“I want a casino.”
“Then buy a casino, you don’t need to sell the entire Marks hotel chain to do that.” His father got to his feet and sighed.
“No, I want to build a new Vegas. An entire city built around one giant casino.” Edward spoke dramatically while moving his hands to emphasize his points. “Our name will go down in history, and not as measly hotel owners, but innovative, forward-thinkers. I’ll build a whole city where only the very elite will be allowed entrance.”
David had been furious—still was. The reason their grandmother was bequeathing all the company’s shares to Edward was because he’d married a “respectable” woman, one who could look the part to represent the future of the Marks dynasty. Catherine was not only respectable, but sweet and seemingly level-headed. David could not understand why she would stand by Edward’s crazy plan to destroy the legacy.
He also could not understand his grandmother’s wishes. Cutting his father out of the
