I hesitated, looking at Richard.

“Answer it,” Richard said softly. “Put it on speaker.”

I reached out and swiped the screen, my finger trembling.

“Emily?”

The voice was cold, sharp, and instantly recognizable.

It was Thomas Vale.

“Emily?” The voice was cold, sharp, and instantly recognizable. It was Thomas Vale.

I did not answer right away.

I looked at Richard, whose face had gone completely still.

Nora gestured for me to keep quiet, her pen hovering over her legal pad.

“I know you are there, Emily,” Vale said, his voice coming through the speaker with a dry, metallic rattle. “And I assume you have your new friends with you.”

“What do you want, Thomas?” I asked, my hand resting flat on the mahogany desk to keep from shaking.

“I am calling to offer you a final opportunity to resolve this family matter quietly,” Vale said. “Before you make a mistake that cannot be undone.”

Richard leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the phone.

“Mr. Vale, this is Nora Singh,” Nora said, her voice remarkably calm. “I am representing Mrs. Carter. Any further communication must go through my office.”