Declan and Shelia made a hasty exit from the Nichols residence.

Juan descended from the second floor, his eyes scanning the room.

Joe approached him and reported, “Sir, I didn’t see Mr. Tracy here.”

A flicker of disappointment in Juan’s eyes. He had hoped to finally unmask Tracy, but Tracy didn’t even show up.

“Though Tracy didn’t show,” Joe continued, “Michael did.”

As if on cue, Michael sauntered over.

“Mr. Nichols, a pleasure to meet you.”

“Me too. Why didn’t Mr. McKinney come to the event?”

Michael chuckled, a sound like velvet. “Mr. McKinney couldn’t make it, but I’m here. It’s all the same, really.

Juan raised an eyebrow, catching the undercurrent in Michael’s words.

In the past, Michael had been nothing more than the McKinney Group’s top actor, but not a power player. But now, he was implying something more.

Austin, could

smile deepened, his eye’s glinting with

conspicuously absent for some time, appearing

“Mr. Nichols, you wanted to see the real force behind the McKinney Group. Well, here I am,

the implication and

McKinney Group, Tracy’s prolonged absence could

room, their cameras flashing like a barrage of lightning. Across the room, Debra swirled her wine glass, watching the spectacle with keen interest. She had tipped off the reporters, setting the stage for Michael’s grand

world would believe that Michael was the true power behind the McKinney Group, and Tracy would be relegated to the status of

Michael really the president of

that Tracy and Debra were the

“What do you think?”

“I don’t know.”

intuition told him that someone wise was in charge of

the real

Michael is in charge of eet you’re an artist

then, Debra’s phone

outside to take the cal. “Erica, what’s

you tell me about your

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