Cole’s POV

The post-funeral reception was held at Richard Hart’s estate…a massive, sprawling mansion that screamed wealth and power.

The kind of place where every corner had been meticulously designed to impress.

Expensive art lined the walls. Crystal chandeliers hung from high ceilings, their lights low to match the somber mood. Waiters in black suits moved silently through the crowd, offering glasses of aged whiskey and champagne.

But no one was here to drink.

They were here to watch.

Richard Hart was dead. And now, the question that lingered in the air, unspoken but loud, was…what happens next?

I kept my eyes on Emily.

She stood near the grand staircase,...