Ryker looked at me.

I shook my head quickly, indicating the legal danger.

But Ryker’s eyes were cold and calculating.

He had a different plan.

“Fine,” Ryker said into the phone. “You want the shares. I want the kids.”

There was a brief pause on the line.

“Are you proposing a trade?” Voss asked, sounding surprised.

“I’m proposing a solution,” Ryker said. “We meet. We sign the paperwork. You walk away with the proxy votes, and you drop all claims to Lily and Owen.”

“Where?” Voss asked.

“The Blackstone Hotel,” Ryker said. “The private library room on the second floor. It’s neutral ground.”

“Two hours,” Voss said. “Come alone. If I see your security detail, the deal is off.”

The line went dead.

Ryker lowered his phone.

“He took the bait,” Ryker whispered.

“Ryker, you can’t be serious,” I said, stepping closer to him. “Trading corporate shares for custody is highly unethical. It could ruin your reputation and mine.”

“We aren’t trading anything,” Ryker said.

He turned to Marco, who was waiting at the end of the hall.