The atmosphere was thick with an air of formality as Pierce sat at the dinner table with his father and Grandfather.

From a very young age, he had been taught to only speak when spoken to, and he had since been like that around William.

He was like that when his mother died—no questions asked, like that when Xavier suddenly showed up one evening at dinner.

"So how's the thing with Sophia going?" William asked, his gruff tone breaking through the familiar silence.

"Uh, slow but well. Apparently, most of the important assets are in her and Amber's name, we're trying to get on her good side so things would...