Apex was Nathan’s main competitor, the one company that had tried to buy out his neural mapping software for years.

“Vanessa wasn’t a coincidence,” I said, the realization settling like lead in my stomach.

“She was a plant,” Nathan said. “They targeted my family. They waited until I was broken, and then they sent her to pick up the pieces.”

He turned another page, revealing a photocopy of a contract.

It was an agreement between Vanessa and Julian, promising her a forty-percent share of Apex’s acquisition payout once Nathan signed over the proprietary source code.

“She didn’t just want the money,” Nathan said, his face pale with fury. “She wanted the whole legacy. She wanted to erase Claire entirely.”

From the corner of the room, little Grace let out a soft, trembling sob.

“Daddy?” she whimpered. “Is the bad lady coming in?”

Nathan closed the binder with a sharp slap.

He walked over to the girls and knelt down, pulling all four of them into his arms.

“No, sweetheart,” he said, kissing the top of Grace’s head. “I won’t let her near you again. I promise.”