ra

ty he was about to lose. "Arthur, pull up Elara Vance's account. Now.

r end of the line, followed by the

hear the blood pounding in my own

nuckles white. Marcus's brow was furrowed; even he seemed

nged with confusion. "According to the sys

oze on his face. "What do y

ll five-year transaction history. Not a single cent has been deposited int

oom. "Five years?" "Not a single ce

uck by lightning. He stared at m

, my expression uncha

the money go?" he yelled into the phone. "The budget

. This one was longer, he

," Ethan commanded

"the records show that for the past five years, the fu

han whispered, dread c

his voice a neutral bomb. "Furthermore, Miss Isabelle's own allow

mb det

undred pairs of eyes moving from me to Isabelle and her parents. They were no longer looking at

arm, real tears, for once, streaming down her face. "I didn't know.

er off. He looked at the weeping girl he had

bling with the first cracks of a shatter

rage, but he was trapped. He couldn't deny

money out there," she stammered, the excuse pathetic and obscene. "And

h disappointment. "A young woman, spent five years alone in

h and fairness, lay in glittering shards on the f

was so proud of, the justice he believed t

ly branded a "gold-digging leech." Standing there in my cl

ng. A spectator at the glorious implosion of my own

t was a physical force, slamme

e phone. "Arthur Foster! Who gave you the autho

the knife. "The Alpha's heir, sir. He com

er was

weapon. I had simply sho