“So,” he said casually. “Walk me through it.”
I leaned forward. “They still think they have the upper hand.”
“They do,” Ares replied.
“For now.” I shook my head slightly. “That’s exactly where I want them.”
Ares watched me carefully.
“They still have allies I need,” I continued. “Old ones. People who built things with them to keep us out of sight.”
“You need some of the old heads.”
“Exactly.”
I picked up my glass again.
“If they even suspect we’re planning something, those alliances shift.”
“And the board changes.”
“Exactly.”
Ares took a slow drag from his cigar. “So we let them feel comfortable?”
“Yup.”
I looked out at the water. “They believe the marriage puts them back in control. They think they’re arranging the future.”
Ares glanced at me. “And you’re letting them believe that?”
“For now.”
He nodded slowly.
Ares had power.
Real power.
Money. Territory. Influence.
But this war?
This was my family.
Which meant the rules were different.
He leaned back in his chair. “You know I follow your lead with your family.”
I looked at him.
“Good,” I said.
Because if he tried to take control of this situation, it would’ve been a problem.
But Ares understood strategy.
He understood patience.
