Chapter 1 1

Rain lashed against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the boardroom, blurring the New York skyline into a smear of gray and charcoal. Inside, the air was so thin it felt recycled.

Hart Whitney sat at the head of the mahogany table. He didn't speak. He just tapped his index finger against the polished wood. Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound was a metronome for the anxiety in the room.

"Look at this, Hart." Felix England stood up. He didn't just place the report on the table; he slammed it. The paper slid across the surface, stopping inches from Hart's hand. "The stock is down twelve percent. Twelve."

Hart stopped tapping. He looked at the red arrow on the page, then up at his cousin. Felix was sweating. A bead of perspiration rolled down his temple, betraying his bravado.

"The Grandmother's Trust is locked," Felix continued, his voice rising. "You're the CEO, but you're a CEO with hands tied behind his back. The bylaws are clear. You need a legitimate heir, or you need a wife's signature to unlock the capital. You have neither."

The board members shifted in their leather chairs. The leather creaked. It was the sound of loyalty breaking.

"You have thirty days," Hart said. His voice was low, devoid of inflection. It wasn't a question.

"Excuse me?" Felix blinked.

"The annual Gala is in thirty days. I will have the signature by then." Hart stood up. He buttoned his suit jacket. The movement was precise, final. "Meeting adjourned."

He walked out before anyone could object. The heavy oak doors closed behind him, muffling the sudden eruption of whispers.

Hart walked straight to his office. He loosened his tie, the silk feeling like a noose. Xavier, his executive assistant, was already there, holding a tablet. Xavier looked pale.

"Did you find her?" Hart asked. He walked to the wet bar and poured a glass of water. His throat felt like sandpaper.

"It wasn't easy," Xavier said. "She's a ghost, Hart. No credit cards. No social media. No employment records under her name for three years. Camisha Tran ceased to exist the day she left this building."

Hart took a sip of water. He remembered Camisha. Quiet. Efficient. She wore oversized blazers and glasses that kept sliding down her nose. He remembered the startling intelligence in her eyes when she thought no one was looking, a razor-sharp mind hidden behind a mousy facade. She was a transactional necessity, a signature on a marriage license to appease a board requirement. Then the contract expired, and she vanished.

He didn't care about her. He cared that she had violated the Non-Disclosure Agreement. She had taken files. Data. Leverage.

"But?" Hart prompted.

"But everyone makes a mistake eventually." Xavier tapped the tablet. "Yesterday, for exactly four minutes, a secure offshore account was accessed from a residential IP address in Seattle. It was a massive transfer. To a pediatric specialist."

"Pediatric?" Hart frowned. "She's sick?"

"Unclear. But we have the address."

The door to his office swung open. Isadora Roth walked in. She was wearing a dress that cost more than most people's cars. She held a small, velvet box.

"Hart, darling." She walked over, her heels clicking on the marble. She reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Hart flinched. He took a subtle step back. He hated being touched. "Isadora. I'm busy."

"I heard about the board meeting." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "My father is willing to inject capital. The Roth family stands with you. All you have to do is... formalize us."

She meant marriage.

Hart looked at her. He owed her. Three years ago, during the blackout that nearly tanked his company and sent him to federal prison, Isadora had saved him. She had claimed to have scrubbed the servers. She had saved his legacy.

But looking at her now, he felt nothing but a cold detachment.

"I don't need your father's money," Hart said. "I need Camisha's signature."

Isadora's jaw tightened. For a second, the mask slipped. "She's a thief, Hart. Why chase a thief when you have a savior right here?"

"Because the thief has my property." Hart looked at Xavier. "Prep the jet. We leave in an hour."

"I'm coming with you," Isadora said.

"No." Hart turned to the window. The rain was falling harder now. "This is cleanup. You don't do cleanup."

He stared at the city lights. He was going to find Camisha Tran. And he was going to ruin her.

Seattle was drowning in rain.

It was a different kind of rain than New York. It was heavy, relentless, soaking into the bones of the small suburban house.

Inside, it was warm. Camisha Tran sat on the edge of a twin bed. The room was dimly lit by a nightlight shaped like a rocket ship.

"Read it again, Mommy," a small voice whispered.

Leo was curled under the duvet. He had gray eyes. Hart's eyes.

"One last time," Camisha whispered back. She brushed the dark hair off his forehead. He felt warm. Too warm.

She finished the story and closed the book. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. A notification: Transfer Complete. It was the last of her savings, sent to the specialist in Switzerland for the new trial drug.

She let out a breath she felt like she'd been holding for three years. They were safe. She was Mia now. Just a single mom working freelance accounting.

Ding-dong.

The doorbell cut through the silence like a gunshot.

Camisha froze. Her heart hammered against her ribs. It was 11:00 PM. No one came at 11:00 PM.

She stood up, her legs feeling heavy. She walked out of the bedroom, closing the door softly until it clicked. She moved through the dark living room to the front door.

She looked through the peephole.

Her blood ran cold.

Standing on her porch, water dripping from a black trench coat, was Hart Whitney. His face was a mask of fury. He wasn't looking at the door; he was looking through it.

He found her.