She hesitated when she spotted Magnus but came to me anyway. “I woke up, and you weren’t there.”

“I’ll be up in a minute.”

She looked at my brother again. “Is she here—”

“Yes,” I said with anger in my veins. “She’s in Paris.”

“Can I see—”

“Go to bed.” I didn’t mean to snap, but I couldn’t control it. I would never allow that cunt to enter my home—not again anyway. I tried to smooth out my voice to make up for my hostility, because if I pissed Melanie off, she wouldn’t talk to me for days. Really didn’t want to experience that again.

She walked away.

When her footsteps were gone, I looked at my brother again. “All she ever talks about is her obnoxious sister. Maybe I should kill her, so I don’t have to hear about her anymore—from either one of you.” I grabbed the glass in front of me and downed the rest of it.

He watched me for a while, studying my face. “Why do you hate her so much?”

It was a stupid question, and I gave him a look that made it clear what I thought of it.

“It’s more than that, Fender.” His eyes shifted back and forth as he looked into my face. “We both know we would do the exact same thing if we were in her position. Her actions aren’t personal. So why?”

I grabbed the bottle and refilled my glass. “Because she is the one thing that stands between Melanie and me.” She would always be the wedge. She would always be the hesitation. Her hatred for me would never die, and she would force Melanie to choose between us. I already knew what that choice would be.

“Then let her go. Problem solved.”

I gave a shake of my head. “What happened last time I let her go?”

He stared, his arms on his thighs.

“Melanie left me.” I threw my head back and took another drink like it was a shot rather than a full glass. “And she would leave me again.”

He dropped his gaze.

“Raven’s hatred for me will never fade. She’ll ridicule Melanie for wanting to be with me. She’ll turn her against me. She’ll take away the single greatest thing that had ever happened to me. So, no, I can’t fucking let her go.”

I sat at my desk with my lunch tray beside me. I took a few bites as I worked, pulling numbers from the file Magnus had sent to me in an encrypted format. When I looked up from the screen, I saw her standing there.

In a beautiful dress with a bracelet on her wrist, she stood in front of me.

I waited for her to speak her mind.

“Can I see her?”

I knew this would come up again.

“Please.”

I shook my head.