"Let's start with assault."

The officer reached for Vanessa's arm.

She jerked away.

"Don't touch me."

"Ma'am, put your hands behind your back."

"This is insane."

Another officer entered carrying an evidence bag.

Ruiz pointed toward the floor.

"That document."

The officer bent down and carefully collected the NDA.

Vanessa saw it disappear into the clear bag.

Her composure cracked further.

"That is privileged family legal material."

Ruiz raised an eyebrow.

"With her blood on it?"

Vanessa said nothing.

He looked at the broken smartwatch.

"And bag that too."

A fourth officer stepped into the room.

"Detective."

Ruiz turned.

The officer held up Vanessa's phone.

The screen was still lit.

My heart jumped.

The call with Camille had not disconnected.

Vanessa must have hit the wrong control when she panicked.

Camille's voice suddenly came through the speaker.

"Vanessa?"

No one moved.

Camille sounded irritated.

"Vanessa, what is happening?"

Ruiz raised one finger.

Silence.

He took the phone from the officer.

Camille continued.

"Did she sign it?"

Vanessa lunged.

"Give me that."

The officer caught her arm.

"Don't move."

Ruiz glanced at me.

I understood immediately.

The call was still active.

Camille had no idea the police were in the room.

Ruiz muted our side of the call.

Then he looked toward one of the officers.

"Get Bennett."

The officer nodded and stepped into the hallway.

Vanessa stared at Ruiz.

"You can't do this."

He did not answer.

"You cannot listen to a private call."

Ruiz looked at her.

"You put it on speaker in a hospital room occupied by another person."

Vanessa opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

The phone vibrated.

Camille again.

"Vanessa?"

Ruiz unmuted the call but said nothing.

Camille's voice sharpened.

"Are you there?"

Vanessa looked at the phone.

Ruiz looked at her.

For one second, I thought she might cooperate.

Instead she pressed her lips together.

Camille exhaled.

"If this is another one of your little games, I don't have time for it."

The room became completely still.

Camille continued.

"The Ashford people are already at the club, and your father wants the statement released before nine."

Ruiz's eyes flicked toward me.

Your father.

That was new.

Vanessa noticed the reaction.

"Stop listening."

Ruiz muted the phone again.

"You're going to want to save your advice for your attorney."

Vanessa laughed sharply.

"You think this changes anything?"

"It changes your evening."

"You have no case."

I stared at her.

"Really?"

She turned toward me.

"You think that recording proves anything?"

"It proves you admitted arranging the SUV."

"I said it was supposed to scare you."

"You said the driver should have finished the job."

"I was angry."

"You threatened to send him back."

"I was angry."

Ruiz stepped between us.

"That's enough."

Vanessa looked past him at me.

The hatred in her face was almost physical.

"You don't know what you've done."

"I know exactly what I've done."

"No."

Her voice dropped.

"You think you're exposing us."

Her smile returned.

Smaller now.

More dangerous.

"But you have no idea what Adrian has been doing."

My stomach tightened.

Ruiz noticed.

"Don't engage."

Vanessa laughed.

"Did he tell you he was helping you?"

I said nothing.

"Did he tell you where he spent last night?"

"Vanessa."

Ruiz's tone was a warning.

She ignored him.

"He was with Camille."

I kept my face still.

"You already said that."

"No."

She leaned forward as far as the officer holding her would allow.

"I said they were together."

Her eyes locked onto mine.

"I didn't tell you what they signed."

Something cold moved through my chest.

Before I could ask, footsteps sounded in the hallway.

Several people appeared beyond the broken door.

Rachel Bennett entered first.

She wore a dark coat over a navy suit, rain still glistening along one shoulder.

Her expression was focused.

"Marcus."

Ruiz handed her Vanessa's phone.

"Camille is still on the line."

Rachel's eyes sharpened.

"Still?"

"She doesn't know we're here."

Rachel looked at one of the officers.

"Trace it."

"We're already running it."

"Get a unit to Ashford House and another to the Graybridge Club. Quiet approach."

The officer nodded and stepped away.

Then someone appeared behind Rachel.

My breath stopped.

Adrian.

For three days I had imagined seeing him.

I had imagined anger.

Relief.

Demanding answers.

Maybe even slapping him if my leg had allowed it.

Instead, I just stared.

He looked terrible.

His usually neat dark hair was disordered.

There were shadows beneath his eyes.

His suit was wrinkled.

His tie was gone.

He looked like a man who had not slept since the night the SUV hit me.

"Elena."

His voice broke on my name.

I felt my throat close.

"Where have you been?"

He took one step forward.

Ruiz lifted a hand.

"Give her space."

Adrian stopped.

"I'm sorry."

"You didn't answer."

"I know."

"Three days."

"I know."

"I called you fourteen times."

His face tightened.

"I saw every one."

That hurt.

More than I expected.

"You saw them?"

"Yes."

"And you ignored me?"

"I couldn't answer."

"Why?"

Vanessa laughed.

Everyone turned toward her.

She looked almost delighted now.

"There it is."

Adrian's face changed when he saw her.

Not surprise.

Disgust.

"Vanessa."

She tilted her head.

"You were supposed to be with Camille."

He stared at his sister.

"I was."

Her smile faltered.

Adrian took another step into the room.

"Helping the police arrest her."

Vanessa went still.

I stared at him.

"What?"

He looked at me.

"Two weeks ago, when I figured out who you really were, I should have confronted you."

"You did."

"I mean before that."

His jaw tightened.

"But once I understood what you were investigating, I started checking the transactions myself."

Rachel stood beside him.

"He came to us voluntarily."

I looked at her.

"When?"

"The morning after your attack."

Adrian continued.

"I knew Camille would panic if she thought you survived with evidence."

"So you went back to her."

"Yes."

The word hurt even knowing why.

He saw it.

"I never touched her."

Vanessa scoffed.

"How noble."

Adrian ignored her.

"I let her believe I was willing to revive the merger."

"And the engagement?"

"Fake."

Rachel added, "It was designed to keep Camille close while we built probable cause."

I looked at Adrian.

"You could have warned me."

"If Camille thought you and I were still in contact, she would have disappeared."

"You let me think you abandoned me."

His expression crumpled.

"I know."

Anger flared through me.

"You don't get to say that like it fixes anything."

"It doesn't."

For a second, neither of us spoke.

I could hear the rain.

The monitor beside my bed.

Vanessa's handcuffs clicking as she shifted.

Then Rachel's phone rang.

She answered immediately.

"Bennett."

Her expression changed.

"Where?"

Ruiz looked at her.

Rachel turned away slightly.

"Did you confirm?"

A pause.

"Understood."

She ended the call.

"What happened?" Ruiz asked.

Rachel looked at him.

"The surveillance team lost Camille."

Vanessa's eyes widened.

Ruiz swore under his breath.

"How?"

"She left the Graybridge Club through the service garage before our units arrived."

"Vehicle?"

"Unknown."

Adrian stepped forward.

"She wouldn't run without taking something."

Rachel looked at him.

"What?"

His face had gone pale.

"My father's private safe."

My stomach dropped.

Ruiz's phone rang before anyone could respond.

He answered.

"Ruiz."

We all watched him.

His expression hardened.

"When?"

Silence.

Then he looked directly at Adrian.

"You're sure?"

Another pause.

"Send me the footage."

He ended the call.

"What is it?" I asked.

Ruiz exhaled slowly.

"The team at the Ashford estate just confirmed Camille was there twenty minutes ago."

Rachel stepped closer.

"And?"

"She left carrying a steel document case from the house safe."

I looked at Adrian.

"What's inside?"

He did not answer immediately.

His face had lost all color.

"Adrian."

He finally looked at me.

"The original Whitmore ledger."

Parte 4

Thirty-Eight Million Dollars

"The original Whitmore ledger."

Adrian said the words so quietly that for a moment, I thought I had misunderstood him.

Detective Ruiz did not.

"What exactly is in that ledger?"

Adrian looked at Rachel Bennett, then at me.

"Everything my family never wanted written down."

Vanessa stopped struggling against the officer holding her.

That reaction told me almost as much as Adrian's answer.

Ruiz noticed it too.

"Everything meaning what?"

Adrian dragged a hand over his face.

"Private transfers. Board distributions. Political donations. Settlement payments. Accounts my father didn't want included in the company's electronic records."

Rachel's expression hardened.

"And Camille had access to it?"

"She shouldn't have."

"But she did."

Adrian looked toward Vanessa.

"Apparently."

Vanessa laughed.

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

Adrian turned on her.

"My girlfriend is sitting in a wheelchair because you paid someone to run her down."

"I didn't pay anyone."

The room went still.

I looked at her.

Ten minutes earlier, Vanessa had admitted arranging the attack.

But now that police were standing around her, every instinct she had was shifting toward survival.

Ruiz stepped closer.

"Interesting choice of words."

Vanessa glared at him.