Sonia watched the security footage from Adrian's study, her smile growing as Nancy held him, as they cried together, as love somehow triumphed over her carefully planted poison.
"Disappointing," Marcus observed beside her.
"On the contrary." Sonia closed the laptop. "Phase one was never meant to separate them. It was meant to make them real . To force declarations, commitments, entanglements that can't be easily undone."
"And phase two?"
Sonia opened a different file—property records, bank statements, a web of transactions that would make any prosecutor weep with joy.
"Nancy Clark has a secret, Marcus. A past she's hidden even from herself." She tapped a photograph—a younger Nancy, harder, sharper, standing beside a man in an orange jumpsuit. "Her father, Robert Clark. Convicted of embezzlement ten years ago. Died in prison."
"Tragic, but not damning."
"No. But the money he stole—two million dollars—was never recovered." Sonia's eyes gleamed. "And Nancy, dutiful daughter that she is, has been making regular deposits into an offshore account. Small amounts, over years. Almost as if she's... hiding something."
Marcus frowned. "You think she has the money?"
"I think she's her father's daughter. I think she's been playing Adrian from the start, waiting for the right moment to strike." Sonia's smile turned feral. "And I think, when Adrian discovers his perfect love is a perfect lie, he'll finally see who truly deserves his trust."
She picked up her phone, dialing a reporter she knew. "I have a story for you. Financial corruption, romantic betrayal, a billionaire's broken heart. Yes, exclusive. Tomorrow morning, front page."
As she hung up, Marcus touched her shoulder. "You're certain about this? If you're wrong—"
"I'm never wrong about people, Marcus. Everyone has a price. Everyone has a secret." She leaned into his touch, using his affection as she used everything else. "Nancy Clark will destroy herself. We just need to give her the o