Seeing that Isabella had made her point, Kate finally signaled for Troy to let Mason out.

Mason came downstairs wearing a dark blue dress shirt paired with black trousers, topped with a long black coat. Tall, long-legged, broad-shouldered, and narrow-waisted—he looked effortlessly refined.

His expression remained indifferent as he adjusted his cuffs, stepping down the stairs one at a time. His eyes swept over the room without really seeing ...