I didn’t release Nina’s hand until my grandfather made his entrance.
Patriarch Sebia commanded the room without effort. He always had. He wasn’t just the head of the famiglia—he was its foundation. A man who had built an empire with patience, discipline, and fear, yet had always treated me with a measured warmth he rarely extended beyond blood.
His gaze found mine immediately.
“Where is Avery?” he asked, without preamble.
The question hit harder than I expected.
I swallowed, keeping my voice level. “She’s occupied,” I replied smoothly. “She wanted to prepare something meaningful for your birthday. She’ll arrive later.”
The words sounded convincing. Even to my own ears.
Sebia studied me in silence, his eyes sharp, searching for cracks. The weight of that scrutiny made my chest tighten—but he said nothing more.
An hour passed.
Then another.
The ballroom filled with controlled laughter, crystal glasses clinking, respectful greetings exchanged between capos, politicians, and old-money investors. Yet Avery never appeared.
I found myself glancing toward the doors more often than I cared to admit. My jaw tightened with every passing minute.
Where the hell was she?
Just as I considered stepping away to make a call, a young courier appeared at the entrance.
He carried three carefully wrapped packages.
His posture was stiff, his hands faintly trembling—not from the weight, but from the room itself. His eyes darted between me and my grandfather, clearly uncertain who held greater authority in that moment.
“Delivery for Patriarch Sebia,” he announced. “From Ms. Avery.”
The sound of her name stalled everything inside me.
I cleared my throat. “Give them to me.”
He hesitated. “I was instructed to deliver them directly to the Patriarch, sir. Her instructions were… precise.”
Of course they were.
I stepped aside, gesturing toward my grandfather. “Then follow them.”
Sebia was in the middle of a quiet exchange with a board member when the courier approached. He bowed respectfully.
“These are from Ms. Avery,” he said. “She sends her birthday wishes.”
Sebia blinked, genuine confusion crossing his face. “Why didn’t she come herself?” he asked. “Where is she?”
The courier shook his head. “I was only assigned delivery, sir.”