Work between Terrence and me went smoothly, but that didn’t mean everything else was quiet.

From time to time, I caught fragments of whispered conversations—rumors about him, about women allegedly linked to his name. Low voices, half-laughs, suggestive pauses. I was certain those stories originated within MHI itself. There had been no such chatter back when Nylerret was operating separately, so it was obvious where all this noise had started: the family business office.

I shrugged it ...