Novels by MEG

Liam's POVI stared at the files Ashley had sent while my first instinct screamed to delete everything and pretend I never saw them. The same game was starting again with both siblings providing evidence against each other, both claiming to be innocent while the other was guilty, both asking me to choose a side that would end with someone dead.Part of me wanted to ignore all of it and walk away from the trial, from the Rossi family, from everything that had trapped me in this impossible situation. But I couldn't afford to ignore either Ashley or Michael because despite their lies and manipulations, they were both assets with years of experience navigating this world. I needed to figure out how to use them rather than be used by them."What are you looking at?" Claire asked while setting a plate of toast in front of me."Evidence that makes everything more complicated," I replied before explaining what Michael had asked me to do and what Ashley had just sent in response.Claire read t

Liam's POVMichael called me the very next morning after the court case was dismissed. I had barely slept after everything that happened and I was sitting in the hotel room drinking coffee while Claire was still asleep when my phone buzzed with his name on the screen."We need to talk," Michael said without greeting when I answered."About what?" I asked, though I already suspected this conversation was related to the debt he had mentioned yesterday."Not over the phone," Michael replied. "Meet me at the warehouse on Roosevelt Avenue in one hour."He hung up before I could respond, leaving me staring at my phone while dread settled in my stomach. I knew he was going to ask for something significant and I had agreed yesterday that I couldn't refuse when he came to collect.I left a note for Claire saying I had business to handle, then drove to the warehouse Michael had specified. When I arrived, he was already there waiting with a folder in his hands that looked thick with documents."

Liam's POVThe hearing about the flagged payment happened two days after we discovered it in the audit report. Sarah had tried to get a continuance to give us more time to investigate the signature forgery but Judge Morrison denied the request, saying the case had already dragged on long enough.Claire and I sat at the defense table while Nathan's legal team prepared to destroy us with evidence we couldn't properly refute without exposing my connection to organized crime. Patterson stood up with a smile that told me he knew he had won before even speaking."Your Honor, the forensic audit revealed a transaction that proves exactly what we've been arguing all along," Patterson began. "A payment of two point three million dollars from Harrington Tech to an offshore entity that traces directly back to the Rossi crime family."He distributed copies of the transaction records to the judge while continuing his presentation."Claire Harrington approved this payment personally," Patterson said

Liam's POVThe forensic team arrived at Harrington Tech headquarters three days after the judge ordered the audit.They were a group of five accountants who looked like they had never smiled in their entire lives, carrying boxes of equipment and setting up a temporary office in one of the conference rooms.Claire gave them access to everything they requested without hesitation because we had nothing to hide.Or at least that's what I kept telling myself while watching them dive into four years of financial records.The audit took four weeks of methodical examination. Every contract Claire had signed, every vendor she had approved, every strategic decision documented in board minutes got scrutinized by people whose job was finding problems.I tried to stay away from the building during this time because my presence would only fuel Nathan's narrative about inappropriate influence, but Claire kept me updated on their progress through nightly phone calls."They're very thorough," Claire t

Liam's POVThe Harringtons didn't waste any time moving forward with their lawsuit. Within three days of filing, Nathan's legal team had scheduled a preliminary hearing where they would present their case to the judge.Claire and I sat in the courtroom with our own lawyers while watching Nathan take his seat on the opposite side with Vivian beside him for moral support.The judge entered and everyone stood until she took her seat behind the bench. She was an older woman with gray hair pulled back severely who looked like she had seen every kind of family dispute imaginable during her career."This is a hearing regarding the petition to remove Claire Harrington as CEO of Harrington Tech," the judge began. "Mr. Patterson, you may present your arguments."Nathan's lead attorney stood up while adjusting his expensive suit. He was the kind of lawyer who charged a thousand dollars an hour to tell rich people what they wanted to hear."Your Honor, this case is about protecting a valuable com

Claire's POVThe next morning I woke up to seventeen missed calls from various family members who weren't my mother, Nathan, or Christopher. When I finally listened to my voicemail, I heard my aunt's sympathetic voice telling me I should check the news before going into work.I turned on the television in the hotel room while Liam was in the shower. The business news channel was showing a press conference from earlier that morning. My mother stood at a podium wearing her most formal suit with Nathan on one side and Christopher on the other."The Harrington family has always valued integrity, honesty, and sound judgment," my mother said to the assembled reporters. "Unfortunately my daughter Claire has demonstrated that she does not share these values."My stomach dropped as I realized she was actually doing this publicly instead of just within the family."Claire has chosen to associate with known criminals despite repeated warnings from her family," Vivian continued. "She has put the