The silence in the room grew heavy.

Outside, the rain began to beat against the glass window, a steady, gray rhythm.

“I can’t block them for long,” Bennett said. “The hospital board will not risk a lawsuit from Arthur Mercer.”

“How much time do we have?” Luke asked.

“Ten minutes,” Bennett said. “Maybe fifteen if I pretend to lose the chart.”

“We are five minutes away,” Luke said. “Keep them downstairs.”

Bennett nodded once, turned, and walked quickly out of the room.

I looked down at the small black phone in my hand.

“Luke,” I said. “Your father is going to take everything from you.”

“Let him try,” Luke said.

I could hear the squeal of tires in the background as his car sped through the wet streets.

“He wants me to stop looking into your accounts,” Luke said.

“He thinks if he threatens my position as CEO, I will back down.”

“Will you?” I asked.

The question hung in the air, cold and sharp.

“I’m going to make him think I did,” Luke said.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m going to comply,” Luke said. “Publicly.”