He hit the speed dial.

The phone rang twice before a tired, tense voice answered.

“Did you get it?” Luke asked.

His voice was thick with exhaustion, but there was a sharp edge of desperation in it.

“We have the ledger, Luke,” I said, speaking up.

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

I could hear the sound of papers rustling in the background.

“Elena,” Luke whispered, his voice cracking.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m alive,” I said. “And the baby is fine.”

“Thank God,” he breathed.

“Did Vance cooperate?”

“He confessed,” Marco said, leaning toward the microphone.

“He confirmed Arthur authorized the entire forgery.”

“We have the digital signature and the biometric log.”

“It connects directly to Arthur’s personal workstation at Mercer Holdings.”

“Good,” Luke said, his voice hardening into something cold and resolved.

“The board of directors is already convening.”

“I called the emergency meeting for eight o’clock tomorrow morning.”

“I told them it was regarding an imminent hostile takeover.”

“They will all be there.”

“What about the feds?” I asked.

“I’ve spent the last three hours with Assistant U.S. Attorney Vance’s contacts,” Luke said.