My sister looked me in the eyes and said, "He chose me," after I caught her with my fiancé five months before our wedding—but she had no idea what his older brother was about to do.

The Harborview Group's lead developer was a man named Patrick Solis.

Emma had worked with him for fourteen months.

He was methodical, direct, and had a particular dislike of wasted time that Emma had always appreciated.

When Cole Properties pulled out, Patrick had sent Emma a single email: *Unfortunate.

We valued the Bennett Coastal relationship.

If circumstances change, please reach out.*

She reached out.

Patrick agreed to meet the following morning.

He did not ask why.

He said, "Eight o'clock.

Same conference room."

Emma arrived at seven fifty-five with Ruth, the original pitch documents, and a printed copy of Cole's email — the one Adrian had provided.

Patrick read the email without expression.

He set it on the table.

"Cole Marston told my team the withdrawal was a strategic reallocation," he said.

"Internal restructuring."

"It wasn't," Emma said.

"I can see that." He looked at the email again.

"This is from his personal account."

"Yes."

"How did you obtain it?"

"It was provided to me by a member of the Marston family."

Patrick was quiet for a moment.

"The older brother."

Emma didn't confirm or deny.

"The email is authentic.

I can have it verified independently if you need that."

"I may." He folded his hands on the table.

"Miss Bennett, I want to be direct with you.

We moved forward with another firm after Cole Properties withdrew.

We're four weeks into that relationship."

Emma's chest tightened.

"However," Patrick said, "that firm has not yet executed the lease structure work.

That was the piece your team was specifically engaged for." He paused.

"If you could demonstrate that Bennett Coastal Group is still positioned to deliver that component, and if the circumstances of the withdrawal are as documented here, I would be willing to have a conversation with our board about whether the current arrangement is the right one."

Ruth leaned forward slightly.

"We're positioned," she said.

"Then let's schedule a formal presentation." Patrick stood.

"I'll need the documentation on the withdrawal authenticated.

And I'll need to understand whether there's any legal exposure for Harborview if we make a change."

"There isn't," Ruth said.

"The original contract was voided by Cole Properties' withdrawal.

You're free to re-engage."

Patrick nodded once.

"Friday, then.

Ten o'clock."

He walked them to the elevator.

In the lobby, Ruth grabbed Emma's arm.

"He's going to bring us back," she said.

"He might."

"Emma.

He's going to bring us back."

Emma looked at the revolving doors.

Two days ago she had walked through a different set of revolving doors into a November afternoon and sat on a stone planter because her legs had stopped working.

"We still need to get through Friday," she said.

Her phone buzzed.

Adrian: *Cole just called my father.

He told him you have the email.

Gerald is calling his attorneys.*

Then, ten seconds later: *He's going to try to claim the email was obtained illegally.

He'll argue it can't be used.*

Emma showed Ruth the messages.

Ruth read them.

Her expression didn't change.

"Can they make that argument?" Emma asked.

"They can make it," Ruth said.