I caught myself against the rough wood of the crate, the splintered edges scraping my palm.

Julian saw me stumble.

For a fraction of a second, a flicker of concern crossed his face.

Then he looked at Victoria, and his expression hardened again.

“Give us the book, Natalie,” Julian said.

“It is over.”

“You have had your little moment of revenge.”

“But the child you are carrying still needs a name.”

“A legal name.”

“He will never have your name,” I said, fighting to keep my breath steady.

“He will never be a Vance.”

Chloe flinched at the sound of her real last name.

She looked around the empty warehouse, her eyes darting to the dusty windows near the ceiling.

“We need to leave, Victoria,” Chloe said.

“The police are going to trace the stream.”

“They probably already have.”

Victoria did not look at her.

Her eyes remained fixed on the ledger in my arms.

“The ledger stays with me,” Victoria said.

“It has the routing numbers for the Swiss accounts.”

“Without it, the federal government freezes everything by morning.”

She reached out again.