Henry Sterling\u2019s attorney answered on the sixth ring.<\/p>\n
Luna had already started pacing by then.<\/p>\n
Adam remained near the windows, watching her cross the same strip of hardwood again and again while the city glowed beneath them. On the coffee table, the emergency board email remained open beside printed copies of the leaked marriage agreement.<\/p>\n
\u201cMartin,\u201d Luna said when the call connected. \u201cI need the original trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a pause.<\/p>\n
Adam couldn\u2019t hear the response, but he saw Luna\u2019s shoulders tighten.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Not the amended copy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first executed version. The one my father signed before the corporate restructuring.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna stopped pacing.<\/p>\n
Her expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
She listened again.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Martin. I\u2019m not asking whether it\u2019s convenient.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam almost smiled.<\/p>\n
Some things survived a crisis.<\/p>\n
Luna ended the call and looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s bringing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam checked the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s almost eleven.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe knows what\u2019s happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes he know about Derek?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe knows enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam nodded toward the leaked contract.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many board members got those?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt least six.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many are there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNine voting directors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo Derek needs five.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOperational suspension can pass with five.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam leaned against the edge of the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd how many already dislike you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna gave him a look.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you want the honest number?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably not.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFour.\u201d<\/p>\n
He grimaced.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s less comforting than I hoped.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne dislikes everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes that help?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
The intercom sounded forty minutes later.<\/p>\n
Martin Vale arrived carrying a weathered leather briefcase and the expression of a man who had spent his entire adult life knowing things other people wished he did not.<\/p>\n
He was somewhere in his late sixties, narrow-shouldered, silver-haired, and dressed in a dark overcoat despite the mild night.<\/p>\n
He looked at Adam first.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you\u2019re the husband.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat appears to be today\u2019s central issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin\u2019s mouth twitched.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see why she chose you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna folded her arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Martin said. \u201cBut it\u2019s accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n
He placed the briefcase on the dining table.<\/p>\n
Luna moved immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cShow me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin did not open it.<\/p>\n
Instead he looked directly at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore we do this, tell me exactly what Derek has.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe contract.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOriginal?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA scan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFinancial records?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSurveillance?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the estate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBedroom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked toward Adam.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsent?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin inhaled through his nose.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen your brother may have created more problems for himself than he solved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna was impatient now.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe trust, Martin.\u201d<\/p>\n
He finally unlatched the briefcase.<\/p>\n
Inside were two thick binders.<\/p>\n
One contained copies.<\/p>\n
The other had a red ribbon tied around it.<\/p>\n
Adam almost laughed at the old-fashioned formality until Martin removed the first document.<\/p>\n
Henry Sterling\u2019s signature appeared at the bottom.<\/p>\n
Dated twelve years earlier.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the original controlling trust instrument,\u201d Martin said. \u201cBefore the 2018 amendments. Before the voting structure was revised.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna pulled out a chair.<\/p>\n
Adam sat beside her.<\/p>\n
Martin took the opposite side.<\/p>\n
For the next twenty minutes they read clauses about equity, trustees, voting rights, transfer restrictions, death contingencies, and governance provisions written in language so dense Adam suspected it had been designed as punishment.<\/p>\n
Then Luna stopped.<\/p>\n
Her finger rested halfway down one page.<\/p>\n
\u201cRead that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin did.<\/p>\n
\u201cUpon satisfaction of the marital continuity requirement by Luna Elizabeth Sterling, voting control assigned under Section Four shall vest provisionally for twelve months, subject to confirmation under Section Seven.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cProvisionally?\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna turned pages quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never seen this wording.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve seen the amended summary,\u201d Martin said. \u201cNot the original mechanism.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause your father insisted the summaries exclude conditions he considered contingency safeguards.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna looked furious.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou allowed that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI advised against it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn\u2019t the same as stopping him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one stopped Henry when he was alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam glanced between them.<\/p>\n
\u201cSection Seven.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna found it.<\/p>\n
Her eyes moved down the page.<\/p>\n
Then stopped.<\/p>\n
She reread the same paragraph.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
Martin did.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe alternate beneficiary does not automatically receive permanent control if Luna fails the condition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what happens?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe alternate beneficiary enters review.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s eyes sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat review?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin pointed.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuitability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam leaned over the document.<\/p>\n
The section was long, but the relevant language stood out.<\/p>\n
A successor could receive Sterling voting control only if that person had acted in the company\u2019s interests, had not interfered with another beneficiary\u2019s satisfaction of the trust, and had not knowingly manipulated family, corporate, or financial circumstances to trigger disqualification.<\/p>\n
Adam stared.<\/p>\n
Then looked at Luna.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds very specific.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cToo specific.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna sat back.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father expected Derek to interfere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin did not answer immediately.<\/p>\n
That silence was enough.<\/p>\n
Luna turned on him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI suspected Henry was concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMartin.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe never accused Derek directly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he wrote a clause that practically describes him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wrote a clause describing prohibited behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam interrupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Derek used stolen financial data, leaked the contract, and planted or arranged surveillance, does that count as interference?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin folded his hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf proven, potentially.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cPotentially?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe trust does not operate on outrage. It operates on evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we have evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have evidence the surveillance data passed through his consulting entity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have the leaked contract.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know how he obtained it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen not yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna walked away from the table.<\/p>\n
Adam saw the moment hope collided with frustration.<\/p>\n
She had wanted a hidden clause that defeated Derek instantly.<\/p>\n
Instead, Henry had left them a door that only opened if they could prove what Derek had done.<\/p>\n
Adam looked again at the document.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy twelve months?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin glanced at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe marriage requirement. Why not six? Why not three years?\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna turned.<\/p>\n
Martin removed his glasses.<\/p>\n
\u201cHenry believed twelve months was long enough to expose pretense.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went quiet.<\/p>\n
Adam almost laughed at the irony.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRepeatedly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna looked at the floor.<\/p>\n
Martin continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father was not sentimental about marriage. Quite the opposite. He believed living beside another person revealed character faster than any boardroom ever could.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam looked at Luna.<\/p>\n
She was still.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he expect her to fall in love?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin smiled faintly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHenry expected nothing that tidy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe manipulated my life after his death.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou make that sound normal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI make it sound like Henry.\u201d<\/p>\n
She returned to the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas the marital condition about me or Derek?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer stunned her.<\/p>\n
Martin folded his glasses and placed them beside the trust.<\/p>\n
\u201cHenry feared two things. That you would become so self-contained you trusted no one, and that Derek would become so consumed by control he trusted no one either.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam looked at the clause again.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo he built a test.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA cruel one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna stared at Martin.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if neither of us passed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen voting control does not pass permanently to either sibling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her head snapped up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin turned several pages.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe shares move to an independent stewardship structure for seven years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna read.<\/p>\n
Her face changed again.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happens to management?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe board appoints operational leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo Derek doesn\u2019t automatically get Sterling.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe knows that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam gave a humorless laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe definitely acts like he doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin gathered the papers.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe may have read the amended summary and assumed failure by Luna means victory for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cDerek has his own lawyers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLawyers can only read documents they are given.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat document did Derek receive?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin\u2019s eyes met Luna\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe same executive summary you did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Then Adam understood.<\/p>\n
\u201cHenry hid the real trap from both of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin nodded.<\/p>\n
Luna looked offended on principle.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father was impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd paranoid.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrequently.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd manipulative.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam glanced at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou sound like you miss him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
Martin stayed another hour.<\/p>\n
They mapped the trust conditions.<\/p>\n
To defeat Derek\u2019s effort to seize control, Luna didn\u2019t need to prove the marriage had begun romantically.<\/p>\n
She needed to prove two different things.<\/p>\n
First, that the marriage was legally valid and not a sham created solely to deceive regulators, shareholders, or trustees.<\/p>\n
Second, that Derek had intentionally interfered with her ability to satisfy the trust or attempted to manipulate the succession mechanism for personal gain.<\/p>\n
Adam tapped the first requirement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s our problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did marry for the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin corrected her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou married in part because of the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds like legal wordplay.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is legal wordplay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam asked, \u201cWhat makes a marriage valid under this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShared residence. Public acknowledgment. Financial and domestic integration. Intent to remain married during the required period.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam gave Luna a sideways glance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve done all of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExcept intent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin\u2019s gaze moved between them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is less clear than it was when you signed.\u201d<\/p>\n
No one responded.<\/p>\n
Martin noticed.<\/p>\n
He did not smile.<\/p>\n
But he almost did.<\/p>\n
When he finally left, the penthouse seemed too quiet.<\/p>\n
Adam returned to the dining table.<\/p>\n
Luna remained by the window.<\/p>\n
\u201cSay it.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cSay what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re thinking something loudly.\u201d<\/p>\n
She exhaled.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the board asks whether we married for money, what do we say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe truth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat would destroy me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe truth is I accepted because I was desperate and you offered money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that isn\u2019t the whole truth anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
She held his gaze.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t tell the board about last night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t planning a slideshow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam.\u201d<\/p>\n
He walked closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean we tell them what actually happened after the contract.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t erase why we started.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy does it have to?\u201d<\/p>\n
She stared at him.<\/p>\n
Adam continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou paid my debts. I moved in. We became part of each other\u2019s lives. Your brother invaded our privacy. You offered to give up the company to protect me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn\u2019t part of the contract.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
The word hung between them.<\/p>\n
Luna looked away first.<\/p>\n
Her phone rang.<\/p>\n
Unknown number.<\/p>\n
She answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cLuna Sterling.\u201d<\/p>\n
No one spoke.<\/p>\n
Then the caller disconnected.<\/p>\n
A second later Adam\u2019s phone buzzed.<\/p>\n
He unlocked it.<\/p>\n
A message from an unknown sender.<\/p>\n
YOU SHOULD ASK YOUR WIFE WHO ELSE SHE OFFERED THE DEAL TO.<\/p>\n
Adam read it twice.<\/p>\n
Luna saw his expression.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned the screen toward her.<\/p>\n
Her face drained.<\/p>\n
Adam looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou told me I wasn\u2019t the first candidate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many?\u201d<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t answer quickly enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThree.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou offered three people marriage before me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds exactly like what you just said.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI considered three.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cConsidered?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne declined before seeing the contract. One was rejected by legal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the third?\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s silence deepened.<\/p>\n
Adam felt his stomach tighten.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe third signed something?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n
She crossed her arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis name was Evan Carlisle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam recognized it.<\/p>\n
\u201cCarlisle Ventures?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBoard member\u2019s son?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour ex?\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s head lifted.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus told me half the office thought you two were engaged years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe weren\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you dated him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBriefly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you considered marrying him for the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam walked away.<\/p>\n
He told himself the feeling in his chest was strategic concern.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Luna followed.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn\u2019t the point.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is the point?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen don\u2019t punish me for not knowing what you\u2019re angry about.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not angry you considered someone else before me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s exactly how you sound.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m angry Derek knows.\u201d<\/p>\n
That stopped her.<\/p>\n
Adam lifted his phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis wasn\u2019t gossip. Whoever sent this knows the selection process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s expression shifted.<\/p>\n
He continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho knew about Evan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy attorney. My assistant. The investigator.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone else?\u201d<\/p>\n
She thought.<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly the outside family office.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen Derek\u2019s source is closer than we thought.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna took out her phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll call security.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWait.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we start accusing people now, Derek knows we\u2019re searching.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe already knows we\u2019re scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen let him think the message worked.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna watched him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you suggesting?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam looked toward the old trust document Martin had left behind in a sealed copy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe find out who talks to Derek by giving different people different information.\u201d<\/p>\n
A slow understanding entered her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want to plant false details.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s manipulative.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou investigated my entire financial life before asking me to marry you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She considered.<\/p>\n
\u201cFair.\u201d<\/p>\n
They made three versions of the same lie.<\/p>\n
To Luna\u2019s assistant, Rebecca, they said Martin had found a clause requiring independent trustee approval.<\/p>\n
To the outside investigator, they said Martin believed the surveillance alone would void Derek\u2019s claim.<\/p>\n
To the family office administrator, they said there was a hidden codicil naming a third-party successor.<\/p>\n
Then they waited.<\/p>\n
At one thirteen in the morning, nothing had happened.<\/p>\n
At one forty-five, Adam fell asleep on the sofa.<\/p>\n
At two twelve, Luna\u2019s phone vibrated.<\/p>\n
She was awake instantly.<\/p>\n
Unknown number.<\/p>\n
One message.<\/p>\n
TELL MARTIN THERE IS NO THIRD-PARTY SUCCESSOR.<\/p>\n
Luna stared.<\/p>\n
Then looked across the room at Adam.<\/p>\n
He was already awake.<\/p>\n
Neither spoke for several seconds.<\/p>\n
Only one person had been told about a third-party successor.<\/p>\n
The family office administrator.<\/p>\n
A man named Nolan Pierce.<\/p>\n
Someone who had worked for Henry Sterling for nineteen years.<\/p>\n
Someone Luna had known since childhood.<\/p>\n
Someone with access to trust files, household accounts, estate staff payments, archived contracts, and internal corporate records.<\/p>\n
Adam stood slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNolan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna looked sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe attended my father\u2019s funeral.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe helped my mother after the estate was settled.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has keys to the family house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam\u2019s eyes moved to the hidden-camera evidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat explains how someone got into the suite.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna\u2019s voice became colder.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t confront him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe follow him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the first time, we might finally be ahead of Derek.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luna looked at the threatening message again.<\/p>\n
Then at the leaked contract spread across the table.<\/p>\n
Derek believed he had exposed the weakness in their marriage.<\/p>\n
Instead, he had just revealed the person inside the Sterling family who had been feeding him information all along.<\/p>\n
And if Nolan Pierce had planted the camera, stolen the contract, or helped Derek do either one, the trust\u2019s interference clause was no longer theoretical.<\/p>\n
They had three days before the board meeting.<\/p>\n
For the first time, they also had a name.<\/p>\n
Henry Sterling\u2019s attorney answered on the sixth ring. Luna had already started pacing by then. Adam remained near the windows, watching her cross the same strip of hardwood again and … <\/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-6173","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\/6173","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=6173"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6173\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6193,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6173\/revisions\/6193"}],"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=6173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}