Even if the police had handed over the dash cam recording at the time, she could have switched it out in a heartbeat.


    "What did you just say?"


    Bailey''s smile vanished. His eyes went wide, staring at Hank like he couldn''t believe what he was hearing.


    "I said Grace confessed," Hank repeated, voice steady but quiet. "She admitted it herself. She hired someone to stage the ident that killed Mom."


    "I heard her talking to Alex afterward. I saw her sign the confession with my own eyes."


    Bailey stumbled back, grabbing the edge of his desk for support. His face had gonepletely pale.


    He couldn''t process it. Grace, the woman who had always seemed gentle and refined, was actually capable of something so cruel.


    All this time, he''d believed Marie''s death was because of Reese''s tantrums. He''d med Reese for years, never imagining it was Grace pulling the strings the whole time.


    A wave of anger hit him so hard he could barely breathe. His fists clenched until his knuckles turned white.


    "That evil bitch!" he muttered.


    Because of Grace, he''d spent years resenting Reese, pushing her away, letting their rtionship fall apart.


    If none of this had happened, he would have brought Reese back to the Meyer family, raised her himself. Maybe they wouldn''t be so distant, so close to cutting ties for good.


    If Reese had wanted to stay close, the Meyer family could have locked down that de partnership with no trouble. Honestly, with how capable Reese was, de''s whole R&D could have ended up under Vista Tech by now.


    "Dad, what do we do now?" Hank stepped up, steadying Bailey as he swayed. "We''ve been wrong about Reese for years. Shouldn''t we talk to her, make it right?"


    "Yeah... yeah, call her." Bailey took a shaky breath, trying to pull himself together. "Tell her we''ll transfer her shares right away.


    "And I''ll give her another five percent of thepany''s stock."


    "Ask her to drop the case..." Bailey''s words faded, his voice growing weaker He knew the truth about the past now, and thinking of everything Reese had stered made his heart


    ache.


    But the Meyer, family was at a breaking point. They couldn''t survive a scandal like this. If it came out that Grace had murdered Marie the


    wholepany would go up in


    mes. The stock would crash.


    Partners would run.


    He''d just managed to close that deal with Joseph. The Meyer family was finally looking at a way out of this mess.


    If this exploded, there was no way they''d pass the government''s background checks. It would all be over.


    Hank just stood there, stiff as a board. "Dad, what did you say?"


    He had to have heard wrong.


    Grace killed their mom. Reese must have gone through hell to get this evidence. And now Dad was asking him to call Reese and ask hento drop the case?


    Why? How was that even fair?


    "I said call Reese. Tell her to drop the case," Bailey said, voice tight. "Whatever she wants, we''ll give it to her."


    Hank felt lightheaded. He leaned against the desk, staring at his father like he didn''t even know him.


    "But Grace killed Mom. We''re just supposed to let that slide? And Reese... she..." "There''s no way we''re just letting it slide."