Chapter 521
Chapter 520:
“He and Carmen are fine. A quiet New Year’s Eve, apparently.” His thumb traced slow circles on her shoulder. “A good thing, after the year she’s had.” He paused, his gaze turning thoughtful. “We should do the same. Find some quiet p>
Jocelyn nodded. The idea was intoxicating. After a year of fighting — of unearthing secrets and facing down enemies — the thought of simple, uninterrupted quiet felt like the greatest luxury imaginable.
“What’s today?” she asked.
“January first p>
“Tradition p>
Gaston smiled — the expression transforming his face from predator to something softer. “Aspen. The family goes every year. Skiing, mostly. Some business. A lot of drinking by the fire p>
“Do we have to p>
ѕa𝘃𝗲 у𝗈𝘶𝗋 f𝖺vо𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘦 ո𝘰𝘃e𝗅𝗌 𝘰ո.сo𝗆
“We don’t have to do anything.” He kissed her forehead. “But Elbert expects it. And Justin will be there with Carmen and Aaden. It might be good to see them. To be normal, for a few days p>
Normal. The word felt strange. She wasn’t sure she knew what it meant anymore, or if she ever had.
But the idea of fresh air, of mountains, of days away from the city and its accumulated memories — that appealed to something deep in her.
“All right,” she said. “Aspen. But I don’t ski p>
“I’ll teach you.” Gaston was already reaching for his phone, texting instructions to his staff. “Or we’ll find other ways to occupy your time p>
Teterboro Airport was a study in efficient luxury. Two Gulfstream G650ERs sat on the tarmac with engines warming, their Collins family crests gleaming in the winter sun. Staff moved between them with practiced efficiency, loading luggage, checking manifests, preparing for departure.
Jocelyn climbed the stairs to the second aircraft, Gaston’s hand at her elbow. Through the window of the first plane, she could see Carmen settling Aaden into a seat, Justin standing nearby with his phone pressed to his ear. They looked like a family — like a holiday card, perfect and untouchable.
But she had seen Carmen’s face at the New Year’s reception. Had watched her flinch when Conrad Sterling entered the room, seen the color drain from her cheeks before she composed herself.
Something was wrong there. Something Justin either couldn’t see or had chosen not to acknowledge.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Gaston asked, settling into the seat beside her.
“Just wondering how many secrets one family can hold before it collapses under the weight p>
He laughed — low and genuine. “We’re Collinses. We invented structural reinforcement for secrets p>
The flight was smooth and the cabin quiet. Jocelyn dozed, woke, watched the landscape below shift from urban gray to the white expanse of the Rockies. By the time they descended into Aspen, the sun was high and the air was so clear it hurt to breathe.
A fleet of Range Rovers waited on the tarmac. They drove in convoy up Red Mountain, past estates that made the Golden family’s Long Island property look modest, until they reached a structure of glass and timber that seemed to grow directly from the mountainside.
The Collins family lodge. Five thousand square feet of luxury, built to withstand avalanches and entertain billionaires.