“Is that supposed to be a joke?” I asked dully.
“Yes. You just lack a sense of humor. So, tell me about this Calliope? Who is she? Where does she come from? Why was she hiding my niece? And also, why the fuck would she bring her back when I am not there?”
“Dona, despite what mother and father told you, the sun does not revolve around you, and neither does my daughter or her mother. I’m choosing to keep them from you right now. Why? Because it is not your business anymore. Yes, we will always be family. I will be there if you need me. But you do not need me. You are in a different circle now. I will not get dragged into whatever is happening over there, just like you should not be dragged in what is happening here.”
“Well, thank you for that shitty speech, Ethan. I’m sure that seems logical in the cold, barren wasteland that is your mind, but in the real world, people do not just cut family out. Just because I am here does not mean I don’t have questions or want to know about you.”
“You are marrying a future king. If the press there is asking about your family here, you are obviously not doing a good enough job holding their attention.”
“You are the fucking worst brother, you know that?” she snapped. “Everyone else has called at least once or reached out—everyone but you. My big brother. I know being made of ice is your thing, but that’s a little shitty, don’t you think?”
I was silent for a moment. It was amazing. All of them, Wyatt, Darcy, Helen, Sedric…now Dona, each and every last one of them, lacked the ability to see beyond themselves.
“I think you should have more important things to do than calling me to whine.”
“I am not whining. I am wondering why my brother doesn’t bother—”
“You are whining. Just like you did when you went to boarding school and I did not call or write to you then. Just like when you went to a different university. Are we going to have this same conversation every time you are by yourself and lost?”
She paused for a few seconds. “I’m not lost. Just wondering if it would kill you to show you care?”
“I am not sure. It is hard to know, being made of ice and all.”
“Really? Is that joke?”
“Yes. You just lack a sense of humor,” I shot back.
She chuckled. “You really suck. You know that?”
“So you keep telling me.”
“Ethan, I’m not trying to interfere with Chicago or the family anymore—I’m out. I know. But I am still family. At least call me once in a while. It’s not like boarding school, and Monaco is not like a university. I’m not going to be coming back after a few years. This…palace is where I’m going to grow old and die. So, call. Besides, these people are fucking weird. I need to talk to you all just so I do not lose my sanity.”
“Noted,” I replied. “Remind Gabriel not to forget our conversation, also.”
“What conversation?”
“Goodbye, Dona,” I said. Hanging up on her, I tossed the phone onto my desk. Inhaling, I rubbed the side of my head before unlocking the side cabinet and pulling out the files and tablet inside.
Because of the police crawling throughout the city, we hadn’t moved any products. I had called for a freeze. But that also meant we would have overflow in different locations. Scrolling through the map, I checked where the roadblocks would be.
Knock.
Knock.
“Enter,” I said, closing the file and switching off the screen of the tablet.
“You ordered more dinner, Boss?” Calliope said sweetly, and when I looked up, she stood there, leaning against the door frame with a mischievous smile on her face and a plate in her hand. The dark red dress she had on clung to every curve of her body. Her dark brown hair swept over one shoulder, exposing her neck. On her feet were cheetah-print heels.
“I did. However, I was not aware the chef came with it,” I said as she closed the door and made her way over to me.
“Don’t get used to it. This is a special occasion,” she replied, placing the food in front of me before taking a seat in my lap.
“Why would this be a special occasion?”
She glanced over the paperwork in front of her. “Because you raised your voice and threatened to kill your family—for me. It gave me a shiver hearing it from you.”
“You would get shivers from anyone who exercised power.”