“This is not about staff management. This is about a woman trespassing at a private family event.”
“My mother was invited.”
Vanessa’s head snapped toward him.
Ethan reached into his jacket and removed his phone.
He opened the message thread between us and held up the screen.
There was my reply from the night before confirming that I would attend.
There was Ethan’s message telling me to come whenever I felt comfortable.
There was no confusion left to hide behind.
Patricia stepped closer to her daughter.
“Vanessa, apologize.”
It was the first useful thing she had said all afternoon, but even then she said it like a public-relations instruction.
