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“And to think, I’ll only get better,” Nico mused.

“The world isn’t ready,” I teased. “So…does this make us even?”

“Sure,” he said, then added, “but whatever you need, I’ll always be here. You know where to find me.”

That hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting. I smiled, warmth seeping into my chest.

After a quick goodbye, I barely took a breath before bolting from my room. I didn’t care how I looked—slippers, pajama pants, hair a mess—I needed to get to Colton.

He had to be in his office. It was late, but if there was one thing I’d learned about that man, it was that he wouldn’t rest either, not until he had answers.

My feet pounded against the hardwood floor as I sprinted down the hall, my pulse matching my pace. By the time I reached his office, I had to brace my hands on my knees, panting to catch my breath.

When I was evened out, I shoved open the door.

Colton sat behind his desk, head in his hands, shoulders tense like the weight of the world was pressing down on him. The lines of exhaustion and stress etched his face as he lifted his gaze to mine.

“Eleanor?” His voice was thick with surprise, his eyes scanning me as if trying to make sense of why I was barging in so late.

I took a step forward, my heart hammering.

“I found it,” I said, breathless. “I found out who’s behind it.”

Chapter 34

Colton

“YOU WHAT?” I asked, my voice rough with disbelief.

Eleanor stood in my office, nearly doubled over, chest rising and falling as she struggled to catch her breath. She was practically wheezing, holding up her iPad like a trophy.

“I…found out,” she panted before sucking in a deep breath. “Give me a second—hold on,” she added with a breathless laugh, leaning back against my desk for support.

Normally, I’d stand up. Maybe even offer her my chair. But I was frozen.

Her words had knocked me straight on my ass.

My mind had been spinning for hours, running through every possible scenario. How the hell was I supposed to fix this? Was there even a way to make everyone happy?

My lawyer had left, well, really, I kicked him out because I needed time to think. Yet, after all this time, I came up with nothing.

I was bracing for impact, ready to take the hit and deal with whatever fallout was coming.

Then Eleanor had come barreling in like a goddamn storm.

“This is another reminder that I need to start doing Pilates or something when I get back to the city,” she muttered, finally straightening up.

She placed her iPad on the desk with purpose, the screen displaying what looked like a bank statement. I glanced at it, but the numbers didn’t make sense—not yet. When I looked up at her, my expression said it all: Get on with it.

“Look at this line,” she said, pointing to a wire transfer. It was a hefty sum of money deposited into an account. “The receiving bank account belongs to Stacey Brenner, her personal checking.”

My throat tightened. Swallowing became a challenge.

I couldn’t speak. I could only sit there, staring as Eleanor swiped to the next image—a screenshot of an email chain.

“I’m going to make a long story short,” she said, voice steady, controlled. “These emails are between Stacey’s lawyer and a man named Bill Griess. Does that ring a bell?”

A fire ignited in my chest, rage rushing through my veins like a dam had been broken. My skin prickled, heat crawling up my neck. I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening so hard it ached.