Jett Westgate gave her a long, hard look. A length of ash fell from the cigarette between his fingers, but he paid it no mind. "Valentine, are you still angry?"
She hadn't expected him to ask that first.
'Am I still angry?' she asked herself. But her heart was in turmoil, and she couldn't find an answer.
When she didn't answer, he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.
"Valentine, the Patterson Family has already fallen, and Zane Patterson is gone. Have you thought about your next move, after you leave me?"
"What next move?"
"You'll have to get married eventually."
Annelise Valentine let out a cold laugh. "I'm the only daughter of the Valentine Family. I'm not short on money or love. I can live perfectly well on my own—I don't need to settle for some man."
He didn't get agitated. His tone remained steady.
"Of course, you don't have to get married. But that also means you'll have to shoulder the burden of The Valentine Conglomerate alone.
