"Who do you think he will target next, Helena?" Vivienne asked, her voice low and dangerous.
"What will his next step be if he wants control of the Vanderbilts?"
"Jennifer," Helena whispered, the realization arriving in her mind like a sudden draft.
"Exactly," Vivienne hissed.
She turned from the window, her naked silhouette framed against the dying light of the afternoon sun. She began to pace the ruined bedroom, her movements sharp and agitated, the soreness in her limbs forgotten in the face of the political threat.
"Richard," she spat the name like a curse, the taste of it foul in her mouth. "That lecherous, spineless parasite."
She stopped, looking at Helena with eyes that flashed cold.
"He is a weak man, Helena. A puppet. But my brothers..." She let out a sharp, bitter laugh.
"My brothers are doing everything to please him. They are practically on their knees, offering him whatever he wants just to secure their alliance against me."
