Chapter 19 - The Last Lie

For a moment, I almost believed him.

Roman knew exactly where to place doubt. Claire had lied before, and he knew I knew it.

"She created the proxy," Roman said. "She created the metadata trail. She has been working with Victor Sloane to push me out."

"And the recording?"

"Edited."

"Daniel?"

"My brother has hated me for fifteen years."

He leaned forward.

"Savannah, I did terrible things to hold this company together. I controlled too much. I lied to you. I hurt you. But I did not forge your name."

For the first time, he sounded like a man confessing instead of negotiating.

That was what made it dangerous.

I looked through the glass wall at Nora sleeping in Margaret's arms outside.

"Did you love me?"

Roman's face cracked.

"Yes."

"Did you love Claire?"

"No."

"Did you use my shares?"

He looked down.

"Yes."

"Did you order Harrow to scare my father?"

His eyes lifted sharply.

"No."

"Did you order anyone to threaten Margaret?"

"No."

"Did you know Harrow would do things like that?"

A long pause.

"I knew what they were capable of."

There it was.

Not innocence. Not exactly guilt. Something worse: permission without fingerprints.

Roman pushed the ring toward me.

"Come home. Not as my wife if you can't. Come home because Nora belongs in her house. I will move out."

"Nora doesn't belong to a house."

"You know what I mean."

"I finally do."

The door opened.

Claire stepped inside with Miriam.

Roman stood so quickly the chair scraped back.

"What is she doing here?"

Claire placed a phone on the table.

"Showing Savannah the original proxy file."

She unlocked it and opened an email chain.

The forged document had been sent to Claire from Roman's personal address with one instruction:

MAKE THIS LOOK LIKE THE LAST VERSION SHE SIGNED.

Roman stared at the screen.

His face emptied.

Claire said, "I didn't forge it. I refused. You sent it to someone else."

Miriam placed a printed forensic report beside the phone.

"The final file came from Victor Sloane's office."

Roman sat down slowly.

Outside the glass, two detectives stood.

I picked up my wedding ring.

Roman watched my hand.

I closed my fingers around it.

Then I dropped it into his coffee.

"We're done."

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The detectives entered.

And for the first time since I met Roman Carter, he had no one left to order out of the room.