He was already testing my patience with all this suspense regarding Angelina's safety, especially when I had my own people to protect. I couldn't afford to take on another liability—and I certainly wasn't about to play guardian to his daughter when the old man finally dropped dead.

"I don't have time to waste, Dean," I added coldly. I had only agreed to this short-notice meeting out of sheer curiosity, wanting to see what he could possibly have to say after six years of silence.

"You're just as impatient as the day you betrayed me," Bianchi remarked.

I let out a harsh breath, my eyes drifting back down to the grand...