Denise picked it up, her eyes scanning the pages with professional intensity.

A slow smile spread across her face.

“This is it,” she said.

“This is the piece they tried so hard to destroy.”

“It’s completely legal.”

“What does this mean for the Romanos?” I asked.

“It means they don’t own The Marigold Room,” Denise said.

“And it means we can prove they committed fraud to take it.”

“But we need to act fast.”

Before she could say anything else, my phone buzzed on the table.

It was a video call from an unknown number.

I looked at Denise, then pressed the answer button.

The screen flickered, revealing the dimly lit kitchen of The Marigold Room.

Nico Romano was sitting on a stainless-steel prep table.

In the background, Mr. Alvarez was tied to a wooden chair, his face bruised.

Nico looked directly into the camera, a cold smile on his face.

“I believe you have something that belongs to me, Harper,” he said.

My hand shook as I held the phone.

On the screen, Nico Romano slowly ran a finger over the blade of a silver pocketknife.