The immaculate hair. The expensive suit. The controlled breathing.
But his eyes were wrong.
“I know about the company,” he whispered.
My thumb hovered above the call button.
For a moment, the entire room seemed to tilt.
The company.
Two words. Quiet. Plain. Devastating.
I had expected anger over the credit card. I had expected threats, insults, perhaps even a lawsuit his family couldn’t afford but would file anyway simply to torment me.
I had not expected him to say that.
I forced myself to breathe.
“What company?” I asked, though my voice came out colder than I felt.
Ronald smiled faintly. Not triumphantly. Not yet. More like a man who had found a hidden door and believed he was one step away from the treasure behind it.
“Don’t insult me,” he said. “I know you’ve been hiding assets. I know there’s money. Real money. More than you ever admitted during discovery.”
