WESLEY HUGHES

                                                                                                  ...

Vance's words replayed in my head and I made a mental note of them so I could ask Manolo about it later just as I spotted Davina's office at the end of the hall. I headed toward it, trying to keep quiet but not entirely concerned about the cameras because Manolo had claimed Tia handled it before we arrived.

And even if Tia had lied, something told me Manolo would do what he did best and make the issue disappear overnight.

When I tried the office door, I wasn't at all surprised to find out it was locked. Instead, I looked around as Manolo had instructed and carefully searched until I found a little silver key hiding behind the leg of a dresser tucked away in the corner. The spare key.

I picked it up and tried the door again and unsurprisingly, it worked. I stepped inside and immediately got to work.

Tia hadn't given us much to go off of. She told Manolo the file was likely titled something like "Acquisitions" or "New Deals." I quickly scanned the room, the atmosphere cold and sterile, with sleek furniture and polished surfaces. But I knew I had little time, so I focused on the task at hand, rifling through the drawers and scanning for any potential file or folder that could give us a lead.

It didn't take long before I found a thick folder marked simply with the word "Expansion." My fingers tingled as I pulled it from the drawer and flipped it open, skimming the documents. They were filled with business jargon, projections, and a series of complex charts outlining various real estate investments. As I turned the page, something caught my eye—an address.

I pulled out my phone and began snapping pictures as Manolo had instructed. Once I was done, I tucked the files back where I'd found them and I was about to shut the drawer when a necklace sticking out of a folder. It wouldn't have caught my eye if it weren't for the fact it looked eerily similar to Manolo's—only instead of his signature 'M', there was an 'H' hanging loosely.

I picked up the folder and pictures began falling out. The first few were of Davina and another familiar face from Manolo's photos, Juliette Monroe, kissing. They all seemed to take place at a different location—maybe Davina's job—while the other photos contained not only a different woman than Juliette, but Davina seemed younger; and happier.

And the woman was wearing the necklace.

"So this is where you were actually going." I snapped around to see Vance staring at me with an amused expression on his face. He stepped closer and his hand lightly brushed against the side of my face. "The bathroom's the other way."

I turned my head to move away from his touch. "If you knew that then why didn't you stop me before?"

He smiled—a genuine one this time. "I wanted to see what you'd do, Wesley. Always fascinating, watching people make decisions when they think they're on their own."

I stood there, the file in my hands now feeling like a heavyweight. I could still hear the soft clinking of glasses and the distant hum of conversation from the main hall, but in this small, dimly lit office, the air felt thick and suffocating.

"You're not supposed to be in here," Vance continued, his voice calm but tinged with an unspoken threat. "And certainly not looking through things that don't concern you."

I tightened my grip on the folder, though I didn't want to show any sign of weakness. "So what? Are you going to run to Davina now? Tell her what you found?"

"He won't be doing anything of the sort."

I turned my head to see Manolo standing behind Vance. I expected Vance to try to turn around and charm his way out of this mess, but he didn't move and it was only when I managed to put some distance between myself and him that I understood why.

Manolo had a gun to his head if the lethal look in his eyes told me anything, he was planning on using it today.