I shook my head, my face cold.

“There is no quiet settlement, Lila,” I said.

The brass handle of the hotel suite rattled again, violent and rhythmic.

“Lila!” Grant’s voice was hoarse now, stripped of its usual smooth developer charm.

“I know you’re in there with her,” he shouted from the corridor. “Open this door right now!”

Diane kept her palm flat against the deadbolt, holding it in place.

She looked back at me, her dark eyes steady and questioning, waiting for my word.

I gestured for her to hold the lock.

“You want to save your reputation,” I said to Lila, stepping closer to her.

“But a private handoff doesn’t save the Maribel project, and it doesn’t save me.”

“What do you want from me?” Lila asked, her voice cracking.

She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, her fingers trembling against her cheek.

“I want you to look at that camera,” I said, pointing to the lens.

“I want you to tell the three thousand local residents currently watching this stream the truth.”

Lila swallowed hard, her chest rising and falling beneath her silk blouse.