“YOU’RE JUST THE HELP!” A Rich Woman Tried to Slap a Waitress at a Luxury Gala—Then the Waitress Revealed a Secret That Could Destroy Her Entire Family.

Adrian Vale arrived at the board's conference room looking more irritated than afraid. He wore a charcoal suit and carried a binder full of invoices.

"North Quay did legitimate planning," he said. "Environmental reviews. Architectural surveys. Community relocation models."

The auditor asked for the names of subcontractors and proof of payment. Adrian supplied a stack of bills, but several listed addresses belonged to mailboxes. One engineer named in the reports said she had never worked for him.

"That could be an administrative mistake," Adrian insisted.

"Then give us the actual work product," the auditor replied.

Nicole sat beside her brother without touching him. Brandon sat across the table, not next to her.

"You told me you were fixing the program," he said. "You were moving money to Adrian."

"I was keeping this family solvent while you chased your father's approval," Nicole answered. "You signed the forms. Don't pretend you're innocent."

"I'm not innocent of being careless," Brandon said. "I'm not going to pretend that means I agreed to deceive Judith."

Nina watched Nicole's face. The woman had come to the ballroom expecting to control a crowd. Here, every question led to a document she couldn't shout down.

Adrian closed his binder. "I want a lawyer before I answer anything else."

"You have one," Priya reminded him. "This board meeting isn't a criminal interrogation. You may leave. The records will still be examined."

After he left, the auditor handed Sebastian a new spreadsheet. It showed a payment to an unnamed communications firm on the day Nina's forged agreement appeared online.