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beginning to form on Lester’s forehead. He turned to Spencer. “Let’s talk this through. I know how much you want Rock Point. You said yourself it had great potential. You must have walked over that ground a dozen times.”
    Aiden had heard enough. “We don’t work with people whose word is meaningless. We’re through here.”
    Lester’s mouth dropped open. “But we . . . we had a solid offer . . . we . . .”
    Mitchell didn’t say a word while his cousin sputtered his indignation. He simply watched the Madison brothers leave Lester’s office. Then he strolled over to the bar and poured himself a drink.
    “It was a great offer,” Lester muttered. “What have you done?”
    “Don’t worry,” Mitchell said, his voice smug. “They’ll be back.”
    Lester shook his head. “I’m not so sure.”
    “I’ll bet they reach the lobby and turn around. Spencer Madison wants Rock Point, and I’m going to make him pay a premium for it. He’ll talk his brother into negotiating. Just you wait and see.”
    “They seemed angry that you broke your word.”
    Mitchell shrugged. “They’ll get over it. Saying one thing and doing another . . . that’s all part of negotiating. As long as you don’t sign anything and you’re not being recorded . . .”
    “Do you hear yourself? A man’s word—”
    “Can it, Lester. Just let it go. I know what I’m doing.”
    Mitchell kept his eye on the elevators, waiting for the doors to open and prove him right. The Madisons were probably on their way back up.
    Aiden and Spencer had no intention of returning to Chambers’s office. As soon as they reached the lobby they were surrounded by a crowd of men and women holding balloons and cheering. The cameraman was there again, standing behind Kalie, the Channel Seven reporter, who stepped forward with a wide smile of greeting. She held the microphone up to Aiden and said, “And here are the new owners of Rock . . .” She stopped when Aiden shook his head. “You didn’t purchase the land just yet?”
    “No,” he answered. He looked directly into the camera as he explained. “Congressman Mitchell Chambers changed his mind. He wanted more money than we originally agreed on. We won’t be buying Rock Point.”
    “It’s disappointing,” Spencer interjected. “But we’re going to move on to another property.”
    Kalie looked stunned. “Wait,” she pleaded as Aiden walked past her. “Are you saying Congressman Mitchell Chambers stopped the sale?”
    “Yes, that’s what I’m saying,” Aiden answered.
    “Then the Hamilton Hotel won’t be built here?”
    “No.” His tone was emphatic.
    Aiden walked out the door and didn’t look back. Spencer followed. The plan was to fly to San Francisco and stay at the Hamilton there while Spencer checked on the remodel he’d begun three months ago, but the plan changed when they received a text from their sister, Regan.
    Aiden retrieved his phone from his pocket and looked at the screen.
    “Oh no,” he said.
    “What’s wrong?” Spencer asked.
    “Cordelia’s dad died. Heart attack.”
    Shocked by the news, Spencer didn’t speak for a few seconds. The Madison family had known Cordie and her father for almost twenty years, and Mr. Kane had always been so strong and vigorous.
    “Andrew Kane was a good man,” he remarked.
    “Yes, he was,” Aiden agreed. “Cordelia must be devastated.”
    He immediately called Regan to find out when the funeral was scheduled. His sister was crying. “Cordie’s all alone now. Are you coming home? She’ll want you and Spencer there.”
    “Of course we’ll be there. We’re on our way home now.”
    Spencer opened the car door, then paused to look up at the building they’d just left. All that time wasted, he thought. The engineering reports, the back-and-forth negotiating with two of the most unpleasant men he’d ever encountered—all for nothing.
    “Let’s go,” Aiden called out impatiently.
    Lester Chambers stood at