Rene, unfortunately, understood what it meant to be stuck with seemingly no way out and people depending on him. He’d just had better partners than Gabriel had, though he oddly had some hope for Ashley. Ashley had sent him a text the night before apologizing and thanking him for any help he could give her to get into college. “I think it is. I think my cousin decided to fight the good fight.”

“You want to shout lies, Gabe? I’ll sue you for that. You think you have money trouble now, wait until I’m done with you,” Charles shot back.

Oh, he was the one who was about to be done with Charles. The good news about getting his fortune back was that he had some ammo. Rene glanced down at his wife. “I’m about to put us in a fight. Are you all right with that?”

He might not be able to save his company, but he wasn’t going to allow Charles to run over Gabriel.

He could honor his father by still being the head of the family to those who wanted him there. He could protect the people who needed him.

He strode into the room, Sylvie by his side.

It looked like all of the families were represented by at least one member. They sat grimly around the pretty parlor, with Charles and Gabriel standing in the middle, prize fighters in the ring. His aunt sat in the biggest chair, her hair up in a regal bun. All she lacked was the crown, but she was about to find out that there was only one queen he bowed to, and she was holding his hand.

“Charles, you should know that if you even try to go after Gabriel, I’ll be the one funding his legal team. You think you’re suing Gabriel, but you’ll be suing me. I’ll make it my life’s goal to bury you in legal fees and make sure everyone knows exactly who you are and what you did.”

Charles wore slacks and a button-down, his hair mussed enough that Rene wondered if he’d bothered with a shower. “You can try.”

Roberta held a hand up. “Rene, it’s so good of you to join us. I’ve been trying to contact you all morning. This is not the way I expect you to run things.”

“Did I not make myself clear last night that I’m not running anything?” He looked around the room. His aunt Cheryl was there along with two of his older cousins, and Aunt Marietta along with her two boys.

He noted that Ashley was standing in a corner, her arms over her chest. She moved in behind her brother. “You know what Gabriel is saying is the truth, Rene. He’s being brave enough to own up to his mistakes. He helped Charles find out what the company’s bids were, and Charles sold them to rival firms. Gabriel wasn’t right to do what he did, but he had his reasons, and some of them were because he was afraid of what that bastard would do to him if he didn’t help. Charles threatened him.”