Arnold held my gaze for a moment, then pulled out his phone and made a call.
"In half an hour, Starlight's stock will hit its lower limit."
The certainty in his voice caught even me off guard.
I wouldn't have dared claim I could tank Starlight's stock in thirty minutes. Was this guy overselling himself?
But it was Valerie whose eyes flickered with panic.
She clutched Elwin's arm, her voice unsteady. "Elwin, you don't think he's found some powerful backer, do you?"
Elwin pressed a kiss to the corner of her lips. "Silly girl. What backer could possibly be more powerful than you?"
He turned back to me with a sneer. "Maureen, you're giving him way too much credit. If he had the ability to bring me down, he wouldn't have kept it hidden all this time."
"Besides, with Valerie here, neither of you can touch a single hair on Starlight's head."
But his mockery only made Valerie's unease more visible.
When she caught my knowing look, she opened her mouth as if to say something—then defaulted to slinging mud at me instead.
"Maureen, you latched onto Arnold awfully fast. Don't tell me you two have been carrying on behind everyone's backs this whole time?"
Elwin's already dark expression turned thunderous.