“But Elias was one of your guards,” I said. “How do we know the estate is safe?”

“Mara is there,” Roman said. “And the main house security is on a closed loop. Only my inner circle has the codes.”

He coughed, a wet, rattling sound that made him wince.

He slumped slightly to the left, leaning against the door frame for support.

“Roman,” I said, panic rising in my chest.

“Just… keep me awake, Lena,” he whispered.

I grabbed a clean microfiber cloth from the glove box and pressed it against his side.

He groaned, his head tilting back against the headrest.

“Talk to me,” I said, applying pressure to the wound. “Why does Elias think my father hid the ledger in that house?”

“Because your father… was careful,” Roman said, his voice growing fainter. “He knew if I ever found out how much he stole, I’d kill him.”

“So he kept a record as insurance,” I said.

“Yes,” Roman said. “Names. Dates. Accounts. Enough to destroy the Blackwell empire and the Morettis.”

The rain pounded against the cracked windshield, making it hard to see the road.