I was in the academy’s phone room, trying to have a private conversation with my grandmother about the latest media coverage, when raised voices from the adjacent conference room made it impossible to concentrate. The thick walls of the old building usually provided perfect sound insulation, but whoever was arguing next door was doing it with enough volume and fury to penetrate stone.
“—completely unacceptable behavior that reflects poorly on the entire family—”
The voice was male, older, with the kind of authoritative tone that suggested someone accustomed to being obeyed without question. I couldn’t make out every word, but the anger was crystal clear.
“—my personal life is not a corporate strategy—”
That voice I recognized immediately. Alexander, but with an edge of desperate fury I
