“We never got a new heating system,” Ruby said, her small voice cutting through the tense air.

“Our radiator just clinks and blows cold air.”

“Sometimes it smells like smoke.”

Nathaniel looked at Ruby, his expression softening for a brief second.

“I know, Ruby,” he said.

“I know.”

He turned back to Arthur, the warmth vanishing from his face.

“The contractors on these invoices don’t exist, Arthur.”

“I had my personal investigators look into them this morning.”

“They are shell companies registered in Delaware.”

“And the sole beneficiary of those companies is you.”

Arthur’s face went from pale to a deep, angry red.

“This is a setup,” he hissed.

“You are twisting the financial records to paint me as a villain.”

“I have kept that building afloat with my own sweat!”

“With my money,” Nathaniel corrected him.

“My family’s money.”

“And more importantly, the money that belonged to the tenants.”

“You charged them rent, you charged them utility fees, and you pocketed the maintenance funds.”

I looked at the paper in front of me, the black ink blurring.

Twelve years.