He entered Vance Manor with rain on his shoulders and concern in his eyes.
“Clarissa,” Arthur said, “Nathaniel helped verify the records last night.”
Clarissa stiffened. “You showed him my marriage?”
Nathaniel’s expression softened immediately. “Only the financial trails. Not your pain.”
That answer disarmed her more than flattery would have.
He looked at her directly, not with pity, not with curiosity, but with a kind of careful respect.
“I’m sorry you were dragged through a public room to get justice.”
Clarissa almost looked away.
Instead, she said, “I walked into that room.”
“Yes,” Nathaniel replied. “But you should never have had to.”
Arthur watched them quietly.
Clarissa turned to her father. “Why is he here?”
Nathaniel answered. “Because Cross Holdings is collapsing faster than expected. Thousands of employees may lose their jobs if the board panics. Your father intends to let the company burn. I came to suggest another option.”
