“There’s also this,” she said, without warmth. “My forensic accountants finished a review of your private servers yesterday, Daniel. We found a chain of encrypted emails between you and your mother.”

She opened the file to highlighted printouts. “You discussed Claire’s presumed inheritance in detail. You planned to isolate her, then pressure her into begging her father to rescue your company after the honeymoon.

And the accountants found offshore invoices showing you’ve been embezzling from your father’s hotels to cover gambling debts in Macau.”

Malcolm’s head snapped toward his son.

“Read page four, Malcolm,” my mother said.

Malcolm read the highlighted line aloud, his voice cracking. “Once the ring’s on her finger, she’s tied to our debts. If she cries to daddy, her father will have to pay us out to save her reputation.”