"It''s nothing,"n said, grabbing his suit jacket before heading out.


    On the way back to the office, his phone rang again. The caller ID shed: Zane, Chief Legal Officer.


    "Mr. Goodwin, the situation is worse than we thought." Zane''s voice was tense. "The Securities Commission has officiallyunched an investigation. They''ll be sending people to thepany tomorrow."


    "Alert all senior management. Emergency meeting in thirty minutes."


    The ck Maybach shot down the highway toward Goodwin & Co. Tower like an arrow loosed from a bow.


    Word got out fast. By that evening, the business journals had sshed the story across their front pages-Goodwin & Co. under investigation for insider trading, the Securities Commission involved.


    In the boardroom,n''s gaze swept across the anxious faces of the executives. "Mr. Goodwin, the stock price is already fluctuating," someone reported.


    The meeting dragged on until dawn. When it finally ended,n drove through the empty city streets, originally intending to head back to Goodwin Manor. At thest moment, he turned the wheel and headed for Cloudcrest Manor instead.


    Inside, the house was dark. Ian didn''t bother turning on the lights. He dropped onto the living room couch, loosened his tie, and let exhaustion wash over his face.


    He pressed his long fingers to his temples and closed his eyes.


    His phone started to vibrate again. He reached over, nced at the screen. "Mr. Goodwin, the Securities Commission team will arrive at nine tomorrow morning."


    The next morning, Eleanor was brushing her teeth, scrolling through the news on her phone as she liked to do. A breaking headline caught her eye: ''Goodwin & Co. under investigation for insider trading.''


    She paused, toothbrush midair. Below the headline was a photo ofn, the caption in bold: This man has always been ambitious, enjoying privilege while grantly breaking the rules.


    Eleanor frowned, then set the phone aside and finished getting ready.


    Before she had a chance to call Ellington, her phone rang.


    "Ms. Sutton, did you see what''s happening with Goodwin & Co.?" Ellington sounded nervous—after all,n was the secondrgest shareholder in herpany.


    "I saw. Will this affect us?"


    "So far, not much. But we need to prepare," Ellington replied, cautious. "If Goodwin & Co.''s shares tank, there could be a domino effect."


    Eleanor dried her face with a towel. "Schedule a senior management meeting this afternoon. We''ll assess the impact."


    After hanging up, it was still barely seven. Eleanor let her daughter sleep a bit longer. She headed downstairs for a ss of water when the doorbell rang unexpectedly.


    She hurried to the door and checked the screen. Ian was standing outside.


    Taking a slow, steady breath, she opened the door, her expression cool as she looked him up and down.


    "What is it?"


    "Morning," he said, voice rough. "Can we talk?"


    "About what?" Eleanor arched an eyebrow.


    "I''m sure you''ve seen the news about mypany,"n said. "I wanted to exin."


    Eleanor didn''t want to get tangled in his mess, but she stepped aside and let him in, deciding to hear him out.


    Seated on the sofa,n looked at Eleanor. "You don''t need to worry. The options trades are above board-every move I''ve made has been within thew."


    Eleanor''s eyes narrowed. "Then why is this happening?"


    A cold glint shed inn''s eyes. "Someone on the board''s been after me for a while. This is a setup-an excuse to get me to cede some control."


    "What you do with your board is your business. Just don''t drag mypany into it," Eleanor replied, her tone icy.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll handle it. Yourpany won''t be affected,"n promised, meeting her eyes. "And I''ll make sure you aren''t dragged into this mess."


    Eleanor was also on thepany''s board. Earlier in the year,n had proposed a massive options package, which the board had unanimously approved.


    Who would have thought it woulde back to haunt him now?


    But Eleanor, brow furrowed, seemed lost in thought.


    Tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest,n said quietly, "If I do get investigated,


    I''ll have to trouble you to look after Evelyn."


    "Evelyn''s my daughter. Whatever happens to you doesn''t change that," Eleanor shot back, seeing through his attempt to gain her sympathy.


    "Since you''ve exined, you can go now." Eleanor stood, her voice cool and dismissive.


    Eleanor could see from his drawn face that he probably hadn''t slept all night. She wasn''t about to let him drive their daughter in that state.


    "No need," she said, moving to the door and making it clear he should leave.


    Slowly,n stood and walked toward her. As he passed, Eleanor caught a faint scent of tobo clinging to his clothes and instinctively turned her face away in distaste.


    Without another word, he walked out, back straight, and disappeared through the door.