Cole’s POV

The tension in the boardroom is dense enough to choke on. Every member sits frozen in place, caught between disbelief and the instinctive dread that something far bigger than a missing balance sheet is unfolding before them. I stand at the head of the table, the briefcase beside me, and for a moment I let the silence stretch, long enough for every eye to turn toward Isabella Whitmore-Dawson and her husband, Michael.

Elena is sitting on the far side of the table, quiet and still, ...