Once the two women disappeared through the entrance, Maverick’s expression changed. The easy smile faded.He turned to Claire. “Let’s celebrate.” Claire looked at him. “Celebrate what?”“We’re one step closer to finding everything.” There was a slight smile in his voice. “Champagne. My treat.”Claire was quiet for a second, then nodded. “Alright.”They walked over to a quiet corner of a high-end lounge inside the mall. A bottle of champagne was brought to their table. Soft lighting and low music filled the space.Claire lifted her glass. “So what exactly are we celebrating?”Maverick poured more into her glass. “Progress. Real progress this time.”She studied him. “You’re still not going to tell me the details.”“Not yet.” He took a sip. “But we’re closer than we were this morning. That’s enough for tonight.”Claire leaned back slightly. “You always talk like that. Like everything is already under control.”“It is.” She gave a soft laugh. “You make it sound so simple.”“It’s not simpl

Maverick woke with a dull ache behind his eyes. He stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, still half asleep. His mouth felt dry. Then he turned his head.Claire was beside him as his eyes opened wide. He looked around the room. Clothes were everywhere. His shirt lay near the wall. Her blouse hung off the edge of a chair. One of her shoes was under the table, and the other was by the bedroom door.He sat up slowly. The night came back in pieces. The champagne. The third bottle. Claire's hand on his arm. The wall. The bed. He rubbed his face with both hands and stayed like that.'Damn it.'The sheet moved. Claire's eyes opened, and she frowned at the ceiling, then turned and saw him. She looked at the clothes on the floor. Her whole body went stiff, and she dragged the sheet up to her chin."What the hell..." It came out as a whisper."Claire, listen—""Don't." She sat up, holding the sheet against her chest, and looked at the shoe by the door. "Please tell me this isn't what it look

Maverick walked out of Whitmore Energy toward the Mercedes-Maybach with his phone in his hand. Claire's message was still on the screen. [We need to talk about last night.] He read it again, then locked the phone without replying. He wasn't afraid of Claire. He just had no idea what to say. In his previous life, whenever Emily got angry, he was the one who gave in first. He apologized, explained himself, and found the money if she wanted it. If her family needed something, he provided it. If Preston caused another problem, Maverick was expected to fix it. Even when he was the one who got hurt, he ended up apologizing for making her unhappy. He had spent years as a trash can for his wife's anger, and the worst part was that he had allowed it. He was afraid of losing her. He got into the Maybach and sat for a moment before starting the engine. He wasn't going to make that mistake again. But Claire wasn't Emily. She had stood beside him while he built everything, helped him manag

Maverick stepped farther into the building. His footsteps echoed across the concrete floor. Broken windows let the cold night air drift through the corridors, and old office furniture had been shoved against the walls. The place looked forgotten, but the footprints in the dust were fresh. "You actually came." A man stepped out of the darkness. Two more appeared behind him. Maverick didn't look impressed. "Where is Claire?" "You don't even want to know why you're here?" the man said, smiling. "I already know." Maverick's eyes hardened. "Say his name, or I'll say it for you." The smile slipped. "Alaric. He wanted you to understand something. You can't keep interfering with him and expect nothing to happen. Every move you've made against him, he's been counting." "So he finally decided to show his face." "He will. First you're going to learn what happens when you push too far." The man raised his hand. Behind him, one of the others reached inside his jacket. "Take your hand out

She turned and stared at him with clear disbelief. “You actually knew about that seal the entire time?”“I knew there was supposed to be one in the estate records, but I never saw the originals myself.”She held out her hand. “May I use your phone? Mine is gone.”He passed it over. Claire opened the files she had emailed herself during the auction and scrolled quickly while still holding the seal.“The registry is here, but the exact location is not listed on the main page.” She held the seal under the dome light and turned it over. “These marks on the base match the crest on the old registry page. And this number is the key.” She searched for a second document. “Mr. Maverick, I found something important.”“What is it?”She turned the screen toward him. “There is an old geographic reference attached to the registry. It points to a private island off the coast still listed under the same estate.”He looked at the screen. The information was incomplete, but it was enough. “Read me the l