"I don't need proof to know what—"
"Sit down," his father said again, and this time the words carried weight that stopped the first son mid-sentence.
He sat, but his body stayed rigid and his hands stayed clenched in his lap.
His father looked at him for a moment before speaking more slowly. "We don't have proof, and we don't have Derek. What we have is a public event where TRB officials, guild leaders, investors, and press will all be watching the Ganner family. The ball is not the place to lose control. It is the place to make James lose control."
The first son's jaw tightened further, but he stayed quiet.
Adrian spoke from the corner of the room where he had been standing with his back against the wall the entire time while reading through the final guest list on a tablet.
"Which TRB officials confirmed attendance?" he asked without looking up.
His father named three.
