James POV

I slammed the door shut, and the sound reverberated through the empty hallway. My mind reeled, mired in frustration and despondency. Rose's ascendancy to power is no longer to be overlooked.

Grabbing my phone, I called John. He answered on the second ring.

“John, any news?” I demanded, pacing up and down in my study.

“I’ve been monitoring Victor, Rose, and Elijah, according to your directive,” John said firmly. “No one implicated me in the scandal of the ...