*Margaret,* the letter read, *we cannot destroy Julian to build Ethan’s throne. I will go to the board myself if you do not stop this.*

“The day after Thomas wrote this, he suffered his first stroke,” Julian said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “The stroke that left him unable to speak or write.”

A chill ran down my spine, colder than the wind outside.

“Margaret did that to him,” I said, the realization settling heavily in my chest. “Or Ethan.”

“They put him in the care facility and locked his personal safe,” Julian said. “This flash drive was the only duplicate of his private files, which he gave to me before he lost his voice.”

I stared at the screen, my mind racing through the corporate structure of Caldwell Innovations.

If Julian’s original patents were stolen, then the entire legal foundation of the company was fraudulent.

“I still have my founder’s shares, Julian,” I said, my voice growing stronger. “When Ethan pushed me out, he couldn’t touch the trust my grandfather set up for me.”

Julian turned to look at me, his dark eyes searching my face.