We forwarded the entire package to the district attorney’s office and the SEC, and Meyers formally flagged for the DA that Daniel was now in physical danger from his creditors — which, as it turned out, would be the thing that kept him alive.

Chapter 5 — The Boardroom

For three days, Daniel vanished. He didn’t show up to the preliminary custody hearing, which meant the judge granted me full, exclusive custody of Lily and Noah.

Patricia called me in tears, admitting Daniel had drained her retirement savings the day after the party and disappeared.

He was running. But running takes resources, and thanks to the injunctions, his company accounts were frozen and his personal cards were declining.

He was a rat trapped in a maze that kept shrinking.

On Thursday afternoon I stood in the glass-walled executive suite on the top floor of Whitmore Tower, still learning the ropes of the estate, surrounded by financial advisors and operations managers.