She Came at 5 A.M. to Steal the Family Estate—But the Man She Planned to Betray Was Listening Behind the Door

Natalie stopped breathing.

"What did you say?"

Julian looked immediately sorry.

Dominic grabbed the front of his brother's raincoat and pulled him close.

"Say it again."

"Dominic—"

"Say it."

"Brooke knew Evan was meeting Catherine's old attorney the night he died."

Natalie's knees nearly gave out. Emma caught her.

"How?" Natalie whispered.

Julian stared at the floor. "I heard her arguing with Voss three weeks later. They thought I was out by the pool. Voss said, 'If Evan hadn't started digging, none of this would have happened.'"

Natalie's face crumpled. "And you said nothing?"

"I didn't know what it meant."

"You knew enough to remember it."

Julian had no answer.

Dominic released him with disgust.

Evan Hale had died when his SUV left a wet road near Portsmouth. The police found no alcohol, no mechanical defect, no second vehicle. It had been ruled an accident.

But Evan had been a careful driver.

And according to Julian, he had been asking questions before he died.

Dominic ordered his security chief to retrieve the archived crash report and contact the private investigator who had once worked for Catherine.

Brooke was brought back into the drawing room.

The moment Natalie said Evan's name, Brooke's face changed.

Just slightly.

Enough.

"You knew he was investigating the trust," Dominic said.

"I knew he was obsessed with family paperwork."

"He was meeting Helen Ward the night he died."

Brooke's eyes flicked toward Voss's closed library door.

Dominic leaned forward. "Did Sterling know?"

"I don't remember."

Natalie stood.

"Look at me."

Brooke did not.

Natalie crossed the room and stopped inches away.

"My husband died alone on a highway. My son woke up for months screaming for him. If you know anything about that night, you look at me and you tell me."

Brooke finally raised her eyes.

For one second, Natalie saw fear.

Then Brooke said, "I had nothing to do with Evan's death."

Dominic heard the exact wording.

"That wasn't the question."

Brooke went silent.

At 9:03, the investigator called.

He had found something the original police report had missed.