Melanie stepped closer to Wyatt, her voice dropping to a low, urgent hiss.

“Decide now, Wyatt,” she said.

“Either you sign over the company, or I ruin you before the night is over.”

Wyatt looked down at his shoes, then slowly reached into his coat pocket.

I saw his thumb slide across the screen of his phone, but his body blocked Melanie’s view.

He looked up at her, his expression suddenly appearing defeated and tired.

“Fifty percent is a lot of money, Melanie,” Wyatt said, his voice dropping an octave.

“It took me ten years to build that firm.”

“And it will take me ten seconds to destroy it,” Melanie replied, taking the bait.

“I don’t care about your ten years.”

“I care about my future.”

Wyatt sighed, taking a step toward the desk.

“If I even consider this,” Wyatt said, “I need to know exactly what I’m paying for.”

“I need to know how deep this hole goes.”

“You want me to protect you from the fraud, but what about the rest of it?”

Melanie crossed her arms, her chin lifting.