“Then you will go to prison,” I said. “You chose to protect your mother’s lies for years. You watched me work eighteen-hour days while you two were transferring my dividends into offshore trusts.”

“I didn’t have a choice,” he said.

“Everyone has a choice,” I said. “You can give me that drive right now, and I will tell the prosecutor that you cooperated. That is the only deal you are getting from me.”

Harrison’s face went from pale to a dark, angry red.

He stared at me, his hand tightening around the USB drive until his knuckles turned white.

“You think you’re so smart, don’t you?” he sneered, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “You think you’re the only one who can play this game.”

“We are leaving, Claire,” Elena said, grabbing my arm and pulling me back toward our car.

Harrison didn’t move. He stood there in the freezing wind, his coat billowing around him.

“If you don’t help me, Claire, I have to help myself,” he called out as we retreated. “Patricia won’t let me drown if I have something she wants.”