“Why did you bring me here, Arthur?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

He closed the folder with a soft, decisive snap.

He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk, his grey eyes locking onto mine.

“You think I’m just a wealthy man who did you a favor,” he said.

“I know you scared Tristan,” I replied. “That’s all I cared about.”

Arthur let out a low, dry laugh that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Your ex-boyfriend is a fool,” Arthur said. “But he is a fool who has put you in a very dangerous position.”

He pushed a thick manila folder across the polished wood toward me.

“Open it,” he commanded.

I reached out, my fingers trembling slightly as I flipped open the cover.

The first page was a spreadsheet detailing millions of dollars in transfers.

At the bottom, Tristan’s signature was scrawled next to a name that made my blood run cold: *The Sterling Syndicate*.

“Tristan’s hedge fund doesn’t just manage money, Kate,” Arthur said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

I looked up from the papers, my breath catching in my throat.