Perfect decelt

my office door and the thud of sneakers on hardwood. On

y younge

courtroom warfare," he said, his eyes

oo tired to smile. "Still dr

from me, leaned forward, elbow

ea

meone who just made a preda

nce settle. But Shane kne

long moment. "Did so

n't a

isl

head to meet his

in confusion.

and muttered, "S

you're

like a storm waiting to break

y glass. "He walked in here like he own

ing his name out loud lef

? What

save Laveldi," I

ey, you cannot be serious. The Lautne

anything," I lied,

ok-kid brother mode fully activated. Pr

g it," he said like he

ut my silence wa

smart to fall for this. Revenge and justice... they're not the same thing. You can'

It's about the truth. If something shady is happening inside Laveldi, I

now? You think either of them would be proud if they knew

arder than

I'm not teaming up with them. I'm inv

phan's just handing you

rate. And that makes him

g. Then he shook his head slowly. "You're play

been alone in

s not

ryone wanted me to move on. Pretend that what happened to Dad didn't m

. "I know you didn't. None of us did. But don't let tha

d firmly. "But I

for a moment. "You've made

to proceed with accepting Stephan's

finally spoke again, breaking through my th

und and heade

r him, but it was too late because he slammed the door so hard

efore. I sank back into my chair and exhaled sharply. I swivel

fists clenched, voice shaking with fury and disbelief. His empire stolen in real-time. And E

but I knew betra

Step

lush and me bristle. I remembered him sneaking extra desserts at galas, grinning like r

aybe

oming to me, the daughter of the man they

't shake the un

I mean, if you never

I picked up my scorch a

*

ater, I met

didn't go inside. We met at a neutral site-my choice-an upscale café with glass

corner booth, sleeves rolled, jaw tight. A litt

ooth across from

I do it my way. Full access to everything-emails, b

said withou

fere, you don't check in, and you

ai

leaning in, "I blow the whole damn thing up.

ticked.

ciall

ck. But instead, he reached into his bla

. Credentials. Access codes. Laveld

h it yet. "Wh

r and tired. "Because I

e. "You shouldn't

He took a sip of his coffee.

h the risk? Was he just saying

down and lean closer. "I'

that, h

ernity, replaying his words befor

d the door, drew the blind

er preloaded, and a note in Stephan's slanted

ered

al statements, employee files, private memos. It would take days to

ompany from the inside, the m

Scroll.

I p

udget summary under a proje

on Clov

ase chi

me buried in a list of expenses-tens of thousands of

mething about it f

ry fam

tever Operation Cloverleaf was, it

t someone didn

d

g to uncover e