Tessa stepped forward, still wringing her hands. “I have gathered some evidence. Digital logs. signature comparisons. flagged transfers. If we organize them, they will form enough proof to defend you. I am sorry I frightened you. I am sorry I overstepped. But I did not want you to lose everything.”
Maxwell looked at her, truly looked at her, and realized she was shivering. Fear had not stopped her. It had pushed her forward. He felt the first crack in his certainty, and through it, clarity emerged. “You tried to help,” he said slowly. “And I punished you for it.”
“You reacted as anyone would,” Tessa replied. “This is your world. I just stumbled into the shadows of it.”
Maxwell turned to Lawrence. “What do we do now.”
“We fight,” the lawyer said. “We prepare evidence. We go to court. We expose Cassian before he destroys you. It will not be easy, but it is not impossible.”
Maribel rested a hand on her son’s arm. “This is not the end. It is the beginning of a correction.”