Later that evening, Lyon and Brandon were in a private room in a high-end bar in Saintornia. We silently poured beverages into our glasses, both our faces stern and emitting a signal that deterred people from coming near us. I could no longer hold back and turned to Lyon.

"Uncle Lyon, was wooing Aunt Sofia this difficult?" I inquired.

The memory of Zara's rejection, capped off by the fact that she was dating a loser, annoyed me. Did she think so little of me?

Lyon glanced at me but didn't say anything. He was too busy anticipating the Saturday zoo outing with Oliver to offer to be emotional guru to...