Chapter 18

• Jordan’s POV
• ​The air in the Harrisford dining hall is thick with the scent of roasted meats and vintage wine, a spread my grandfather, Vance, ordered specifically to mark Vesper’s first proper meal at the residence since his return from overseas. Vance takes these traditions with a gravity that borders on the sacred. Aside from my youngest great-granddaughter, who is away at school, the table is a full house of immediate family. The gold-leaf trim of the china glitters under the massive chandelier, but the atmosphere feels surprisingly grounded—at least for a moment.
• ​"Come, Vesper." My father, Nathan, raises his glass, his expression filled with a rare, genuine warmth. "Welcome home, brother. The overseas markets have never looked better under your watch."