He took a slow sip of his tea, set the cup back on its saucer with a small deliberate click, and regarded their lead attorney with the mild patience of a man who has already won a game the others do not yet know is over.

“You are welcome to try, Victoria,” he said evenly.

“But before your attorney files anything, perhaps he would care to review this first.” And he reached into the briefcase at his feet and drew out a plain manila envelope, and laid it on the low table between us, and waited.

Chapter 16 — The Envelope

Julian’s eyes went to the envelope and narrowed.

“What is that?” he asked, and there was already something uncertain in his voice, some animal sense that the ground had shifted.