"Damn it!"


    He jumped into his car and tossed hisptop bag onto the passenger seat, barely caring where itnded.


    Sofia had been involved with Ratcliff Global and ckOak during the whole de project. She''d known from the beginning, so why had she never said that de was actually developed by ckOak?


    Now everything had blown up in his face, and he had no idea how he was supposed to exin any of this to his dad.


    Hank hadn''t even gotten back to Orion Tech before word spread that Matthew had kicked him out of ckOak. Before he could catch his breath, Bailey called him straight into his office.


    "Useless! You can''t even handle something this basic?"


    Bailey was furious, his anger practically vibrating in the air. Hank stood frozen, not daring to move as Bailey hurled a cup at his feet, hot tea sshing all over his pant leg.


    "Dad, this isn''t my fault. I had no idea Matthew cared so much about Reese.


    "We had everything worked out before, but when I saw Matthew, he wouldn''t even look at me.


    "Do you think Reese said something to him? Maybe she turned him against us.” There was no way Hank was going to admit he''d gone to ckOak and caused a scene just to defend Sofia. Instead, he dumped all the me on Reese.


    Bailey took a deep breath, trying to rein in his temper. He paused for a moment, then nodded. "You might be right. This probably has everything to do with Reese. That troublemaker!"


    He pulled out his phone, found Reese''s number, and hit call. The phone rang and rang, but no one picked up. Eventually, the call was cut off.


    Bailey''s face darkened. He called again, but this time all he got was a cold,


    automated message telling him the phone was turned off.


    Meanwhile, Reese was standing outside an old apartment building.


    She noticed Bailey''s call and, without thinking, switched her phone off.


    She''d finally managed to arrange a meeting with Alex. There was no way she was


    letting anyone—especially Bailey-mess this up.


    "Alex has been living here for a while," George said, standing next to her and


    squinting up at the run-down building. "Ready to go up?"


    Reese nodded. "Yeah. Let''s go."


    The stairwell smelled damp and moldy, making Reese wrinkle her nose. They stopped in front of a battered metal door, and begge George Knocked.


    There was some shuffling inside, then the door cracked open, revealing a wary, dark-skinned man.


    "Who are you looking for?"


    Reese took a deep breath, trying to sound calm. "Hi, we''re here to see Alex."


    Alex squinted at her, and the second he got a good look at Reese''s face, his eyes went wide. He tried to m the door shut.


    "You''ve got the wrong ce. I don''t know any Alex."


    "We wouldn''t be here if we hadn''t


    done our homework." George blocked the door with his foot and pushed tropen Reese caught the panicked look on Alex''s face.


    Alex stumbled back, staring at them in fear. "What do you want from me?"


    The worst mistake of his life had been taking that woman''s money-doing what she asked, and causing another woman''s death.


    Now, standing in front of him, this woman looked exactly like the one he''d helped kill all those years ago.


    Reese let him stare, then stepped closer, her eyes cold and sharp. "Alex, do you remember why you spent over a decade in prison?


    "Do you have any idea who was behind the overseas ount that wired you money?


    "You haven''t been out long, right?


    "Should I go to the police and tell them about the deal you made with Grace?"


    Alex''s eyes went huge with disbelief, and he started stammering, unable to get a word out.


    "You-you were just a kid back then. How do you even know any of this?"


    Reese''s eyes filled with tears of rage. She clenched her fists so tight


    her nails dug into her palms, fighting. the urge to throw herself at Alex.


    the wood throw herself at Ale


    Her mother''s death had never been an ident. Someone had made it happen.