He looked at the papers, his eyes wide.

“If I sign this custody agreement, my mother will know I gave up Lily,” he said. “And if my father finds out I let you walk away with this leverage, he will destroy me himself.”

“Then you have a choice to make,” I said. “Protect your father, or protect yourself.”

Grant stared at the table, his face pale.

He took the pen from Naomi’s hand, his fingers trembling against the silver metal.

He hovered the tip over the signature line.

“There are other files,” he muttered, not looking up. “Files Conrad keeps in the private safe at the estate. Documents that show exactly where the charity funds went.”

I leaned forward slightly.

“What documents?” I asked.

“The real ledger,” Grant said, his voice barely audible. “The one with his signature on the wire transfers. If you have those, the feds won’t even look at me. They’ll go straight for him.”

He looked at me, his eyes dark with a sudden, desperate anger.

“If I sign this,” he said, “I want your word you won’t use the files on me. You go after him.”