“Julian wanted what he was owed,” Victoria said, her face hardening. “Your grandfather left him nothing, Andrew.”

“Julian got forty percent of the real estate holdings,” Andrew replied. “He wanted the throne.”

“And he would have been a much better king,” Victoria said.

She slowly tossed the black USB drive onto the hood of the silver coupe.

It slid across the metallic surface with a sharp scraping sound and stopped near the windshield wiper.

“Take it,” she said. “The encryption is already broken anyway.”

Andrew did not look at the drive; his eyes remained fixed on Victoria.

“Get in the car, Victoria,” Andrew said. “Before the police arrive.”

“You won’t call them,” she said, a cruel smile touching her lips. “Not yet.”

“Why is that?” Andrew asked.

“Because if you arrest me today, the board will panic,” she said. “The stock will plunge thirty percent by tomorrow morning.”

She stepped back into the passenger seat of the SUV.

“You have to protect the family name, Andrew,” she said. “You always do.”

Marcus got back into the driver’s seat and slammed his door.