The old Ratcliff estate felt like it had been frozen in time. Sebastian stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in his second-floor study, his tall frame outlined against the fading afternoon light. His ck silk shirt sleeves were rolled up, showing off the sharp lines of his wrists. A cigarette smoldered between his fingers, burning all the way down until the ember stung his skin. That was when he finally snapped out of his thoughts. He snuffed the cigarette out in the crystal ashtray on the windowsill, the soft clink of ss and the falling ash the only sounds in the quiet room.


    The ashtray was already half full, cigarette butts stacked haphazardly. The bitter tang of nicotine mixed with the subtle scent of old camphor wood, creating a heaviness that seemed to hang in the air. Outside, the stone path winding through the courtyard was buried under a thick nket of golden ginkgo leaves. It should have been noisy, the crunch of leaves underfoot, but the estate was so still that Sebastian could hear his own breathing. Even the wind seemed to have stopped.


    He didn''t know how long he''d been standing there before the door opened a crack. Brady slipped in, moving quietly, almost on tiptoe, as if afraid to draw any attention to himself. He stopped a few steps away, standing straight as a board, his voice low and strained.


    "Sir, the police took Joseph away from the board meeting."


    Sebastian didn''t look up. He kept tracing the edge of the window with his fingertips, cool and smooth beneath his touch. He looked like he was hearing about someone else''s business, not his own.


    Brady went on, "They''ve confirmed three charges. Embezzlement, leaking trade secrets, andmercial bribery."


    He hesitated, then added, "They''ve got everything. Bank records, an audio recording, aplete chain of evidence. The economic crimes unit already filed the case."


    Another pause, this one longer. “It''s a mess. The public doesn''t know yet, but all the big families in Bridger Lake are aware. Ratcliff Global''s stock is already taking a hit, and the board is falling apart."


    Sebastian finally reacted. He pulled his gaze away from the window, a faint smirk curving his lips. “Let me guess. The old men on the board figured it out?"


    He nced back at the ginkgo leaves, the mockery clear in his eyes. He''d seen thising. Joseph''s ambition always outpaced his ability. Trouble at Ratcliff Global was just a matter of time.


    Joseph was arrogant, always convinced that Sebastian, the former president who''d been ousted, was no threat. After the old man died, Joseph only grew bolder. He''d usedpany funds to cover his own losses, leakedpany secrets topetitors, even bribed board members to try to secure the chairman''s seat.


    Sebastian''s n had been simple. Let Joseph climb to the top, then expose everything. He wanted to step in when the board was desperate, just to remind them who could really keep Ratcliff Global afloat.


    Brady shook his head, watching Sebastian carefully. "It wasn''t the board. It was Matthew. He''s the one who called the police and dug up all the dirt on Joseph.”


    Sebastian''s eyes narrowed, irritation flickering over his face. Matthew. Again. How did he even find out? Sebastian remembered how long it took him to find traces of Joseph''s embezzlement back when he was stiff on the inside, working throughyers of paperwork and calling in favors. Matthew was an outsider, someone who shouldn''t have hau ess to any of this. Yet he''d put together airtight evidence in no time at all, right down to a recording that would bury Joseph for good.


    "Matthew..." Sebastian said the name quietly, his lips pressed into a hard line. The


    air in the study felt like it dropped ten degrees.


    His half-brother had been in the military for years, only recently discharged. Where did he get the connections to pull this off who was he, really? And why had hee to Bridger Lake now?


    "Find out everything you can about him," Sebastian said, his gaze sharp. "I want a


    full report on Matthew''sst few years. Three days."


    Brady nodded and started to leave, then seemed to remember something. He stopped and nced back, hesitating before he spoke.


    "There''s one more thing, sir. Madam was at Ratcliff Global too. She was with Matthew."


    Sebastian turned, his eyes suddenly cold and piercing. "Reese? What was she doing there?" And with Matthew, no less.


    Was Matthew trying to get close to Reese to stir things up with the


    Meyer family? Was this some kind of payback for being ignored all these years? Sebastian almostughed. Reese, was this really the man you picked after fighting so hard to divorce me?


    Brady answered quickly. “Mr. Ratcliff left her some shares. The paperwork wasn''t done yet, so she didn''t get to vote. She just waited for Matthew in the lounge."


    Sebastian''s frown deepened. Shares? The old man left Reese shares? Since when? Why didn''t he know about this?


    "When did this happen? Is there a will?”


    Brady thought for a moment. "I think there is. The news started circting inside thepany, but I think Madam only just found out herself."


    Sebastian shot Brady a look, impatience showing through. "Why didn''t you tell me sooner?"


    Brady swallowed, looking uneasy. "I never saw the will. I didn''t know about the shares. I thought it was just a rumor Joseph started to distract people."