"If your precious Valerie weren't the billionaire's daughter, would you still be marrying her?"
He didn't even hesitate. "No—I love her, not her status."
"Just like I once loved you."
My stomach turned.
"You've always said you wanted to be part of my family, haven't you?" He tilted his head, magnanimous. "Valerie is generous. She's agreed to let me take you on as my sworn sister. As long as you behave, my parents will accept you too. Getting you into the family registry might be difficult, of course."
"Unless you return the Starlight shares to Valerie..."
He stood there, looking down at me with absolute certainty that I would agree.
I laughed out loud.
I must have loved him too much, once. Enough to make him think I'd accept this absurd charity.
He mistook my laughter for joy. After all, the Gilbert family was one of the most prominent in Crescent City.
"Little sis, I knew you'd be sensible!"
He'd already changed what he called me before I could even respond.
The crowd around us erupted.
"Oh my God, even someone like Maureen gets to be the Gilbert heir's sworn sister? Does that mean we qualify too?"
A chorus of voices started calling him "brother."