The Twin Birthright by Catherine Mann

Author:Catherine Mann [MANN, CATHERINE]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-01-29T19:44:55+00:00

Eight

Milla had breached the inner circle.

Well, at least superficially.

She’d been invited to a movie viewing in the plush screening room at the Mikkelson compound. Only a select few employees had been invited. She wasn’t sure what had landed her on the list, but here she was.

Sconces on the wall reflected light in the shape of hourglasses. Subdued. Understated. And yet Milla recognized the luxury of the Mikkelsons’ home theater.

No amount of low lighting could camouflage or downplay the rows of plush leather reclining seats that had built-in massage options. Never mind the grand hallway she’d walked through to arrive at the media room. The rich scent of mahogany paneling filled the air.

What must it be like to live here? Milla wondered, swirling the pinot noir in her glass.

She took a moment to appreciate her ability to move so seamlessly into this family’s world. An infiltration James Bond would be proud of. Her success tonight was as tangible as the heavy plate of hors d’oeuvres she clutched in her due-for-a-manicure fingers.

As she noticed the flaking polish, she clenched her free hand into a fist, hiding her nails. Somehow fearing that the ragged edges of her hard-fought veneer would reveal her intentions to the whole room.

Milla shoved the thought down with a swig of wine. She needed this opportunity to get to know the key players better, in a more informal setting.

Leaning against the maroon wall, she surveyed the media room. Tried to take it all in. Note the family dynamics in this relaxed space. She smiled at two employees from the office who passed her to take seats in the front row.

Chuck and Shana Mikkelson sat side by side without touching. Something like ice seemed to settle in the space between them. The contrast was stark, given how Broderick’s arm was around Glenna as his wife leaned her head on his shoulder.

Younger siblings, Aiden Steele and Alayna Mikkelson, whispered and laughed in the corner. Likely teenage stuff such as social media gossip, given their death grips on their devices.

Half a dozen other employees sprinkled throughout were eating gourmet popcorn and sipping cocktails.

And in the back, Delaney Steele and Birch Montoya. Why did everyone else buy their enemies act? Sure, they were on opposite sides of the environmental spectrum, but clearly, they were having a secret affair. The tension between them was so combustible Milla wouldn’t have been surprised to see it light up the dark screening room.

They were all so wrapped up in their own worlds, their smaller circles that kept them from seeing outside to the larger picture.

She had to see it all. To absorb every morsel of information she could glean. Because someone here had betrayed her adoptive family in Canada. She owed her family everything—and that included seeing justice served.

Milla stacked her plate on a side table with the others, then moved toward the middle of a row. Settling into a seat there, she lifted her wineglass, hoping to seem as nonchalant as possible as she discreetly tuned into nearby, whispered conversations taking place before Cyber Ghost started.

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