For several seconds, the man who could silence boardrooms with a glance simply stared at the three boys standing in front of him.
Then his eyes stopped on Adrian.
Adrian had the same habit Leonardo had when nervous.
His right thumb rubbed once against the side of his index finger.
Leonardo noticed it too.
His face changed.
—How old are you?
—Fourteen, Ethan answered.
Leonardo looked at me.
—Fourteen?
I knew exactly what he was calculating.
We had divorced fourteen years earlier.
Victoria suddenly stepped between us.
—Enough of this circus.
She pointed toward the doors.
—Take them out.
Nobody moved.
Not even security.
Leonardo slowly turned toward his mother.
—Why are you afraid?
Victoria stiffened.
—I’m protecting this family.
—From what?
His voice became dangerously quiet.
—Three children?
—From opportunists.
Caleb laughed.
It wasn’t a teenager’s laugh.
It was bitter.
—Interesting.
He pulled a folder from his backpack.
