“I agreed to a temporary swap. Julian wanted to play the CEO for a few weeks to finalize a merger that would cover up the missing funds. I was going to use that time to quietly move our assets and get us out of the country.”

“But they betrayed you,” I whispered.

“They didn’t just betray me,” he said. “They erased me.”

He looked down at his lap.

“Sterling used his government contacts to falsify my medical records. Julian took my phone, my keys, my biometric access. Within forty-eight hours, they had me committed to that private clinic under a false name.”

“And Julian became you,” I said.

“He became me,” Alexander confirmed. “And he married Victoria Sterling to seal the alliance. It was all planned by the Senator.”

The cabin was starting to warm up, the heat from the stove slowly dispelling the damp chill.

But inside, I felt entirely frozen.

“They think you’re dead now,” I said.

“They wanted me dead,” Alexander said. “But Julian couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not yet. He wanted the sole power of attorney first, which requires a specific trust amendment only I can sign.”