I needed to know exactly how much damage these documents could do to King Enterprises.

As I zipped the duffel bag, my phone buzzed again on the table.

I froze.

I walked back to the kitchen, expecting to see Elias’s name again.

Instead, the screen displayed a number I did not recognize.

I hesitated, then answered it.

“Hello?” I said.

“Ava,” a voice said.

It was not Elias.

It was a voice I recognized immediately, deeper and smoother, with a slight drawl.

It was Daniel Carter.

Daniel was Elias’s oldest friend, his chief legal advisor, and the man who knew the inner workings of the King family better than anyone.

“Daniel,” I said, my hand tightening on the receiver. “Why are you calling me?”

“I heard you left,” Daniel said.

His tone was warm, almost sympathetic, but I knew better than to trust anyone in Elias’s inner circle.

“Elias told you?” I asked.

“Elias doesn’t know I’m calling,” Daniel said. “In fact, it would be highly problematic if he found out.”

I leaned against the kitchen counter, my eyes fixed on the rain outside.