Grandma Carter sat alone in her study, the morning quiet except for the faint ticking of a grandfather clock. The curtains were drawn halfway, letting in a dim light that spread across the polished wood of her desk. She leaned forward, her hands resting on the carved armrests of her chair, her sharp eyes fixed on the sealed envelope before her.

This letter, written under her strict instructions, was more than ink on paper..it was her strategy, her move in a game she had no intention of losing. She had tried to bring the Denovans into her company through business, but they had refused. That insult still burned in her...