“What?”
“Ortiz checked the investor group behind the acquisition proposal,” Arthur said. “They were scheduled to finalize negotiations within the next two weeks.”
Two weeks. My throat went dry.
“Arthur,” I said quietly, “I have something you need to see.”
“What is it?”
“A folder,” I said, and my voice shook on the word.
“A folder?” Arthur repeated. Then I heard him inhale sharply. “The missing one from Robert’s desk?”
“Yes.”
“You found it?”
“No,” I said, swallowing. “It was left on my porch. Someone texted me to check outside.”
Silence filled the line. Then Arthur’s voice sharpened. “Did you see who left it?”
“No.”
“Is anyone else in the house?”
“No.”
“Don’t touch anything else in that folder,” Arthur said immediately. “I’m coming to you.”
“It’s almost midnight,” I whispered, looking at the clock like time mattered.
“I don’t care,” Arthur said. “Lock your doors. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
He hung up.
I stared down at the acquisition agreement again. The highlighted paragraph. Daniel’s name. The signature line with my name waiting like a trap.
Then I heard tires on gravel.
Arthur’s car pulled into my driveway.
Relief hit so hard my knees nearly softened.
I opened the front door before he even reached the porch. Arthur stepped inside, rain on his coat, eyes sharp.
“Show me,” he said.
I led him into the living room. Arthur stopped short when he saw the documents spread across the table. His eyes moved quickly, scanning, absorbing, and then he froze.
“The acquisition agreement,” he said.
“You recognize it?” I asked.
Arthur nodded. “Robert mentioned it during our last meeting.”
“What did he say?”
“He said Daniel was pushing for it,” Arthur replied, voice low. “He believed the company would be dismantled if it went through.”
I blinked. “Dismantled?”
Arthur flipped to a later page. “Look at the restructuring plan.”
I leaned closer and felt my stomach drop. The plan involved selling off major company assets, closing long-standing projects, and laying off hundreds of workers.
“Robert built that company from nothing,” I whispered, and my voice broke. “He would never agree to this.”
“He didn’t,” Arthur said. “That’s why he was fighting.”
Arthur closed the folder slowly and looked at me. “Now we know why Daniel was in such a hurry tonight.”
“He needed my signature,” I said.
Arthur nodded. “Yes.”
He glanced toward the door, then back at me. “Which means whoever returned this folder wanted us to see the truth.”
I swallowed. “Who would do that?”
Arthur’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “It’s not Daniel.”
“No,” I said immediately, because Daniel wouldn’t hand us the weapon.
Arthur’s expression turned careful. “Then someone else in that house realized what was happening.”
My mind leapt to Lucas, then to Margaret. Margaret’s calm hand on Daniel’s arm at the reception. Margaret returning my purse with that bright, controlled smile. Margaret’s eyes tracking everything.
Arthur’s voice was quiet. “Whoever it was… they chose you over him.”
