Amelia Sullivan's palm connected with a sharp crack that echoed through the parlor.
She immediately seized Zachary's wrist, her brow furrowing.
"Your father has a corporation to run. Don't trouble him with petty matters."
Her demeanor shifted with practiced ease.
This razor-sharp instinct had been honed over decades.
Amelia knew Ethan Sullivan too well.
The man left no room for error.
If he'd dared summon the elder Mr. Sullivan through the butler, he must have prepared countermeasures.
He likely already held clues about the kidnapping.
Her eyes narrowed as she studied Ethan.
"How thoughtless of me—I didn't bring gifts for Mr. Gallagher and Miss Sullivan today. I'll make it up to you both."
Beneath her painted smile, irritation simmered.
"Brothers shouldn't quarrel. The old master would be heartbroken. Let's all compromise."
Her words dripped with false magnanimity while calculations whirred behind her eyes.
"Ethan, you're the eldest. Physical altercations reflect poorly on our family name. The staff are watching."
She sighed theatrically.
"Apologize to each other. Remain brothers."
She emphasized "brothers" with deliberate repetition, each syllable designed to provoke.
Zachary cradled his stinging cheek, indignation boiling over.
"Mother! Why should I apologize?"
Amelia's gaze turned steely.
"Because he's your elder."
This performance wasn't for Ethan—it was for the hidden watchers.
The elder Mr. Sullivan prized appearances above all.
Having escalated this far, she needed Ethan to lose control.
Just as planned, Ethan's expression darkened under her relentless "fraternal harmony" act.
Then—the unexpected.
Sophia Sullivan lifted the coffee cup and flicked her wrist.
Scalding liquid arced toward the mother-son duo.
The porcelain shattered against marble with a piercing crash.
She played the villain with effortless grace.
"Oops. Clumsy me." Innocence laced her tone. "No harm done?"
Were they alone, she'd have used boiling oil instead.
To strip that venomous mask from their faces.
She'd intended to share her findings with Ethan—but clearly, he'd uncovered the truth.
Amelia and Zachary were knee-deep in the kidnapping plot.
All evidence except the port surveillance had been meticulously erased.
But Sophia Sullivan didn't believe in mercy.
What Ethan couldn't do openly, an outsider like her could execute perfectly.
Her lips curved into a radiant smile.
"Aunt Amelia's right—harmony is precious. Let's compromise."
Wiping coffee droplets from her fingertips, she threw Amelia's words back with precision.
"Mutual apologies then. It was an accident—surely the kindhearted Sullivans won't hold a grudge?"
Her laughter sparkled like champagne.
Lethal beneath the effervescence.