“You did well,” Vivian said to me, her tone softer than I had ever heard it.

“You found the ledger in Jason’s study.”

“I had to,” I said, my voice barely louder than the crackle of the dying fire. “He was going to kill him.”

Ethan looked up at me, his dark eyes studying my face.

“I know what my family did to you,” Ethan said.

“I know my grandmother forced you into this marriage to keep Jason from seizing control.”

“It was the only way to buy time,” Vivian said, though she did not sound apologetic.

“We needed a legal spouse who could block Jason’s proxy votes while Ethan recovered.”

“It was still wrong,” Ethan said, his voice firm.

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a document, placing it on the small table beside his chair.

“These are annulment papers,” Ethan said.

“They have been signed by me and witnessed by Pendelton.”

I looked at the white sheets of paper, the black ink of his signature dry and permanent.

“Your father’s debts are gone,” Ethan said. “You are free to leave tonight, or in the morning.”