She reached out and patted his cheek, a gesture that felt entirely mocking.

“You have a choice to make, Nathan,” she murmured.

“A very simple choice.”

I saw the calculations running behind her cold, blue eyes.

She wasn’t just telling us a secret.

She was laying a trap, waiting to spring it.

She looked at me, her smile widening into something cruel and triumphant.

“The board of directors is meeting on Thursday morning,” she said softly.

“They are very sensitive about scandals.”

“And they are very sensitive about who holds the keys to the treasury.”

She turned back to the door, her coat swirling around her ankles as she prepared to leave.

“Think about it,” she said.

“I will be waiting for your call.”

She stepped out of the study, leaving the door wide open behind her.

The sound of her heels faded down the long marble hallway.

Nathan stood frozen, his eyes locked on the birth certificate in his hands.

Suddenly, the phone in his hand began to buzz violently.

The screen lit up, displaying the name of the head of the board of directors.