Luna did not confront Derek at breakfast.<\/p>\n
That frightened Adam more than if she had thrown a plate at him.<\/p>\n
She entered the dining room dressed perfectly, spoke politely to her mother, poured coffee, and asked an aunt whether she had slept well.<\/p>\n
Derek arrived five minutes later.<\/p>\n
He looked rested.<\/p>\n
Adam hated him for that alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cMorning,\u201d Derek said.<\/p>\n
Luna stirred cream into her coffee.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam watched him take a chair across the table.<\/p>\n
Derek looked toward both of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cSleep well?\u201d<\/p>\n
The question was almost casual.<\/p>\n
Adam tightened his grip around his fork.<\/p>\n
Luna didn\u2019t look up.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Derek smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eleanor entered before anything else could be said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam, you\u2019re coming with us after breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWalk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s mother sounded as though refusal had never been invented.<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently I\u2019m going for a walk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eleanor smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll survive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Derek\u2019s gaze remained on Luna.<\/p>\n
Adam understood immediately.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t want to leave her alone with him.<\/p>\n
Luna glanced at Adam once.<\/p>\n
Go.<\/p>\n
It took effort to obey.<\/p>\n
Outside, the air was cool and bright.<\/p>\n
Eleanor led Adam down a path beside the trees.<\/p>\n
For several minutes she talked about the property.<\/p>\n
Henry had purchased it twenty-eight years earlier.<\/p>\n
Luna used to ride horses along the ridge.<\/p>\n
Derek once broke an arm jumping from an old stone wall after being told not to.<\/p>\n
Adam listened, but his attention stayed on the house behind them.<\/p>\n
Eleanor noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re protective of her.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked over.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe doesn\u2019t allow that easily.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam said nothing.<\/p>\n
Eleanor stopped beside a wooden fence.<\/p>\n
Her expression softened.<\/p>\n
\u201cLuna told me your marriage happened quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s one word for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said you wanted privacy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eleanor studied him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what I worried about most when Henry put that condition into the trust?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat she would marry someone she didn\u2019t love just to satisfy it.\u201d<\/p>\n
His heartbeat shifted.<\/p>\n
Eleanor looked toward the mountains.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told him it was a cruel condition.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sometimes Luna needed a door closed behind her before she would walk through the one in front.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds unnecessarily cryptic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eleanor laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHenry enjoyed sounding wise.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he explain?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam shoved his hands into his pockets.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he want Derek controlling the company?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer came immediately.<\/p>\n
Adam turned.<\/p>\n
Eleanor\u2019s eyes sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what none of them understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNone of who?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lawyers. Derek. Sometimes Luna.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked toward the house.<\/p>\n
\u201cHenry distrusted easy inheritance. He wanted both children forced to reveal what they valued.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam absorbed that.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy making Luna marry?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy making choices have consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat still sounds cruel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eleanor\u2019s face tightened with old irritation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved my husband. That does not mean I agreed with everything he did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam thought about telling her the truth.<\/p>\n
The contract.<\/p>\n
The money.<\/p>\n
The hidden camera.<\/p>\n
He couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Not yet.<\/p>\n
Eleanor began walking again.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing I know,\u201d she said. \u201cHenry would have hated what Derek has become.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam looked back once more.<\/p>\n
Through an upstairs window, he could see nothing.<\/p>\n
Inside, Luna sat alone across from Derek in the library.<\/p>\n
She knew enough not to accuse him without evidence.<\/p>\n
So she placed her phone on the table.<\/p>\n
The photograph he had sent remained on the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n
Derek leaned back.<\/p>\n
\u201cExplain what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe camera.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat camera?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t insult me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI sent you a picture.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTaken from inside my bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur mother\u2019s bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe suite assigned to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSemantics.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s voice dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou committed a crime.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid I?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou installed surveillance equipment in a private bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n
Derek picked invisible lint from his sleeve.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should speak to the staff. These old houses collect strange technology.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n
The smile vanished.<\/p>\n
\u201cControl.\u201d<\/p>\n
At least he was finally honest.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not getting it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re already losing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Derek leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou made a mistake choosing him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam has nothing to do with this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has everything to do with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know exactly who he is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Something in Derek\u2019s tone made Luna go still.<\/p>\n
He continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwenty-eight years old. Copywriter. Forty-nine thousand dollars in unsecured and medical debt when this began. Three months behind on rent. Mother struggling with a mortgage in Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s blood went cold.<\/p>\n
Derek smiled again.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really should have been more careful with your investigators.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you get that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes it matter?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Luna. What matters is that the perfect love story has a price tag.\u201d<\/p>\n
She rose.<\/p>\n
Derek stayed seated.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you use his father\u2019s medical debt against him\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? You\u2019ll fire me?\u201d<\/p>\n
His laugh was soft.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou forget I own almost as much of this family as you do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s hands curled.<\/p>\n
Derek stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve always thought discipline made you smarter than everyone else. But desperation makes people predictable.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou needed a husband.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice lowered.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe needed money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna said nothing.<\/p>\n
Derek watched her reaction carefully.<\/p>\n
Then he smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fear.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re imagining things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He picked up his coffee.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re worried I can prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s face remained still.<\/p>\n
Derek walked toward the door.<\/p>\n
Before leaving, he looked back.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t need to prove you never loved him.\u201d<\/p>\n
She felt her stomach drop.<\/p>\n
\u201cI only need to prove the marriage began as a transaction.\u201d<\/p>\n
The family weekend ended early for Luna and Adam.<\/p>\n
Officially, she blamed an urgent client situation.<\/p>\n
Eleanor was disappointed but didn\u2019t argue.<\/p>\n
Derek said goodbye from the front steps.<\/p>\n
He shook Adam\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cSafe drive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam held his gaze.<\/p>\n
\u201cSee you at work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m counting on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the car, Luna drove too fast for the first fifteen minutes.<\/p>\n
Adam finally said, \u201cPull over.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPull over.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n
She took the next overlook.<\/p>\n
Gravel cracked beneath the tires.<\/p>\n
Luna put the car in park.<\/p>\n
Adam turned toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe locked-door thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
She gripped the steering wheel.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m trying to protect you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her silence answered before she did.<\/p>\n
Adam felt dread gather slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does he know?\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna stared through the windshield.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour debt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n
She swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe knows why I chose you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words changed the air inside the car.<\/p>\n
Adam leaned back.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo he knows about the contract.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe implied that he could prove the marriage began as a transaction.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn\u2019t an answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the only one I have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam opened the door.<\/p>\n
Cold air rushed inside.<\/p>\n
He got out and walked toward the guardrail.<\/p>\n
Luna followed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked across the valley.<\/p>\n
The city was invisible beyond the foothills.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew this could become embarrassing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew people might talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew Derek would investigate.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stopped beside him.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you didn\u2019t know he would invade our bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna looked exhausted.<\/p>\n
Not executive exhausted.<\/p>\n
Not irritated.<\/p>\n
Genuinely afraid.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened last night,\u201d she said, \u201cshould have been ours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam\u2019s anger shifted.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t disappear.<\/p>\n
It found a different target.<\/p>\n
He stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt still is.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are images.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cImages aren\u2019t the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe could show people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen he exposes himself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot if we can\u2019t prove how he got them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam cursed under his breath.<\/p>\n
Luna looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can end this.\u201d<\/p>\n
He frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n
His chest tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we terminate now, I can structure the public explanation as incompatibility. Derek still has evidence the arrangement began badly, but you would be removed from the immediate fight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you lose the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe company.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re willing to give him everything?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo keep him from destroying you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words came out more quietly than she intended.<\/p>\n
Adam\u2019s anger vanished.<\/p>\n
He studied her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t about protecting your hired husband.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna looked away.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt hasn\u2019t been for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n
She closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam moved beside her.<\/p>\n
Wind pulled at his jacket.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou asked me last night whether I\u2019d still be there without the contract.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said yes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI meant it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was before Derek knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew Derek existed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t know what he had.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStill yes.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at him.<\/p>\n
Adam continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not letting him turn my father\u2019s illness into a weapon. I\u2019m not ashamed I owed medical bills. I\u2019m not ashamed I helped my mother. And I\u2019m done being ashamed that I was desperate enough to take your offer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have had to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I did.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I am ashamed of is letting somebody like Derek decide what any of that means.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s eyes filled.<\/p>\n
She looked furious about it.<\/p>\n
Adam almost smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t,\u201d she warned.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t say anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were about to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know me well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sentence was barely audible.<\/p>\n
Adam\u2019s heart tightened.<\/p>\n
He reached for her hand.<\/p>\n
She let him take it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe go home,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe figure out what he has.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he has the contract\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he has your records\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he has the footage\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam\u2019s grip tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe make him regret getting it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna studied him for a long moment.<\/p>\n
Then she nodded.<\/p>\n
Back at the penthouse, Luna called her personal attorney.<\/p>\n
Adam contacted no one.<\/p>\n
There was no one to contact.<\/p>\n
By six that evening, a digital security firm had collected both the hidden camera and the network data Luna\u2019s staff recovered from the estate.<\/p>\n
At eight, they confirmed the device had transmitted wirelessly.<\/p>\n
At nine fourteen, the destination became the first genuinely useful clue.<\/p>\n
The footage had not gone directly to Derek.<\/p>\n
It had been routed through an encrypted cloud account registered under a shell company.<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s attorney recognized the company name.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho owns it?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n
The attorney hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cSterling Strategic Holdings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s Derek\u2019s consulting entity.\u201d<\/p>\n
The attorney nodded.<\/p>\n
For the first time all day, Adam smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we can prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly,\u201d the attorney said. \u201cBut be careful. Corporate ownership proves the endpoint, not necessarily who placed the camera.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s enough to scare him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna paced behind the sofa.<\/p>\n
\u201cSend me everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
The attorney left shortly after ten.<\/p>\n
Adam found Luna still standing by the windows.<\/p>\n
He approached quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t turn.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo should you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not the one trying to win a war before breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n
She wrapped her arms around herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI keep thinking about what he said.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich part?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat desperation makes people predictable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam stood beside her.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
She finally looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDesperation made me choose you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Desperation made you need somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n
He paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything after that was choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her gaze softened.<\/p>\n
His phone buzzed.<\/p>\n
Then Luna\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Then hers buzzed again.<\/p>\n
Three messages arrived almost together.<\/p>\n
Luna unlocked her screen first.<\/p>\n
Adam watched the color drain from her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
He stepped closer.<\/p>\n
The email had come from one of Sterling Marketing\u2019s independent directors.<\/p>\n
Subject line:<\/p>\n
EMERGENCY BOARD REVIEW.<\/p>\n
Attached beneath it was a scanned document.<\/p>\n
Adam recognized the first page instantly.<\/p>\n
Their marriage agreement.<\/p>\n
His signature sat at the bottom.<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s beside it.<\/p>\n
A second attachment contained his financial records.<\/p>\n
A third showed still images from the hidden camera.<\/p>\n
The director\u2019s message was brief.<\/p>\n
Luna,<\/p>\n
These materials were circulated to several board members this evening. Given the apparent implications for the trust, company governance, and your representations to the board, an emergency review has been requested.<\/p>\n
Please be prepared to address the matter formally.<\/p>\n
Adam read it twice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna scrolled lower.<\/p>\n
Her voice came out flat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThursday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Three days.<\/p>\n
Derek had moved faster than either of them expected.<\/p>\n
Adam looked at the contract on the screen.<\/p>\n
Their first lie had been exposed.<\/p>\n
Their private night had been stolen.<\/p>\n
And now every director who mattered would be asked to decide whether Luna had manipulated the trust and the company to preserve her control.<\/p>\n
Adam looked toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happens at the review?\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna locked the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Derek convinces enough directors I committed fraud, they can suspend my authority before the trust question is resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe takes operational control.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam felt cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo this is it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what he wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n
For several seconds neither moved.<\/p>\n
Then Adam noticed something.<\/p>\n
Luna wasn\u2019t panicking.<\/p>\n
She was staring at the dark window, thinking.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
She looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cDerek has spent months acting as if exposing the contract automatically gives him control.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI assumed it might.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLuna.\u201d<\/p>\n
She turned toward the hallway.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need the original trust documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have copies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
She was already reaching for her phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need the original version before the amendments.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna stopped.<\/p>\n
Her expression held something Adam had never seen before.<\/p>\n
Not fear.<\/p>\n
Not anger.<\/p>\n
Recognition.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause my mother said something this morning that I dismissed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat my father never wanted Derek controlling the company.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam remembered Eleanor\u2019s words.<\/p>\n
Choices have consequences.<\/p>\n
Luna looked at the contract on her phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cDerek thinks he found the lie that destroys us.\u201d<\/p>\n
She opened her father\u2019s attorney\u2019s number.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut if my father wrote the trust the way he wrote everything else, Derek may have missed the part that explains why the marriage condition existed in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n
The call began ringing.<\/p>\n
Adam looked at the exposed contract again.<\/p>\n
Three days remained before the board meeting.<\/p>\n
For the first time since Derek started hunting them, running was no longer an option.<\/p>\n
They were going to find out exactly what Henry Sterling had intended.<\/p>\n
And if Derek had misunderstood the trust, his perfect attack might have uncovered the one thing capable of stopping him.<\/p>\n
Luna did not confront Derek at breakfast. That frightened Adam more than if she had thrown a plate at him. She entered the dining room dressed perfectly, spoke politely to … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chapter-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6172"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6172\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6192,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6172\/revisions\/6192"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}