er voice steady. "Give me

f doubt in his eyes. "You'd better. Be

usting the cuffs of his tailored suit, his movements sharp and impatient. "I'll have my assi

he intensity of his gaze. "Trus

er thoughts. She took a deep breath, her fingers tightening around the edges of the folder he had

d been granted full access to Grayson Enterprises' internal records, and her meticulous approach was already yielding results. The

o herself, scrolling through a set of confidential emails. "But the

ft knock at the door. She looked up to see A

s?" he asked, s

hing off about these leaks. They're too precise, too perfectly timed. I

ned. "And do you

ut there's a name that keeps coming up in the background of

shoulders stiffened, and his gaze turned colder. "Victor Kane

y. "Kane seems to have ties to someone i

ession dark

should say. But she had no choice-she needed Alex'

ister.

a mask of carefully controlled emotion, but Char

me," he said finally,

name keeps coming up in connection with Kane. Emails, meetin

dow. He stared out at the Manhattan skyline, his reflection in th

have the best relationship. But sh

ly. "Maybe you should tell me more about your relationsh

narrowing. "This isn

want me to help you, I need to understand the dyn

ter laugh. "That's

us. Always has been. She hated living in my shadow, even when we were kids. When our parents

t?" Charlo

ready for it. She made some bad decisions, and I had to clean up the mess.

lved in the business anymore, why would h

lex said, his tone sharp. "If Evelyn

yebrow. "And by 'hand

walked to the door. "I'll let you know w

n the Upper East Side. He hadn't spoken to Evelyn in months, but wh

over her shoulders and her heels clicking against the pavem

oothly. "To what do

th pleasantries. "We

into the café. They took a corner table, a

ictor Kane?" h

cond, but she recovered quickly. "Of course. H

n working with hi

n turned icy. "Wha

Your name is all over documents tied to Kane. Financial records, meetings, emai

gaze hard. "You always were paranoi

," Alex snapped. "If you're invol

nt smirk. "And what if I am? Wh

ced himself to stay calm. "Why, Evelyn? After eve

st time, Alex saw a flicker of emotio

mbling with suppressed rage. "You took everything, Alex. The co

d, his voice rising. "I gav

ow? To watch you succeed while I was treated like an

behind the attacks on his company? Or was she just lash

n stood, grabbing her coat

ely

he said coldly. "You

lone at the table, his thoughts a whir

waiting for him. She could tell from his express

pened?" s

t to anything, but... I don't know. T

d. "Do you think

ed. "But I can't ignore the evidence. If

ded. "Then le

ulnerability. For the first time, he looked less like the invincible

he said quietly. "I

Don't thank me yet. We stil

blood run cold-a series of encrypted messages between Evelyn and a mysterious third par