“He will strip you of everything, Luke.”

“Your title, your shares, your name.”

“I don’t care about the name,” Luke said.

“You will care when you are broke and unable to pay for her medical bills,” Vivian said.

“Or when Father uses his connections to put her in a federal penitentiary.”

“She needs to sign these release forms so I can transfer the funds to a blind trust in Switzerland.”

“It is the only way to keep the money out of Father’s reach.”

There was a long silence on the line.

I could hear the rain beating against Vivian’s penthouse windows, a distant, muffled roar.

“If you are playing me, Vivian, I will personally ruin you,” Luke said.

“I am trying to survive, just like you,” she replied.

Suddenly, a loud, sharp tone interrupted the call.

It was the distinct ring of another incoming call on Luke’s phone.

I flinched as the audio on my end crackled.

“Luke,” Marco’s voice came through, urgent.

“It’s your father.”

“He’s calling your direct line.”

I sat up straight in my hospital bed, my heart racing.

“Put him on,” Luke said.