“They did this to bypass the trust’s automatic succession clause.”

“They lied to the federal courts, to the SEC, and to this board.”

The door behind us clicked open again.

Adrian walked in, followed closely by Celeste.

Celeste was wearing a cream-colored silk dress, her blonde hair pinned back in a perfect, rigid twist.

But her face was flushed, and she was gripping her designer handbag like a shield.

Adrian stopped when he saw me.

His eyes darted from my face to the baby, then to the flashing red light on the conference phone.

“Vivian,” Adrian said, his voice dropping to a low hiss.

“What are you doing here?”

“Protecting our daughter,” I said.

My voice did not shake.

I had spent months hiding in fear, but that fear was gone now.

“Get her out of here,” Adrian said, turning to the security guards.

“The guards are not going to touch her, Adrian,” Grace said.

“If they do, they will be interfering with a federal officer who is currently outside this building serving a subpoena.”

Adrian’s face went gray.