“Leave them out of this,” I said, my voice shaking slightly.

“They have nothing to do with my mother or the Romanos.”

“They work here,” Seraphina said, her voice sharp as glass.

“That makes them our business.”

“It would be a tragedy if Elise lost her custody arrangement because of an anonymous tip to child services.”

“Or if Mr. Alvarez found himself in a federal detention facility before the week was out.”

She leaned closer, smelling of expensive jasmine and damp wool.

“Two hundred and fifty thousand, Harper,” she said.

“Or your friends pay the price for your pride.”

I looked at the white envelope on the table.

I could not let Elise or Alvarez suffer for my family’s past.

If I pushed forward now, Seraphina would destroy them before Denise could even get us a court date.

I needed to buy time.

I needed to make her think she had won.

“I need to talk to Denise,” I said, forcing my voice to tremble.

“I can’t just sign this without my lawyer looking at it.”

Seraphina smiled, a genuine look of victory crossing her sharp face.