“You’re right about one thing.”

“What?”

“I do like having things properly documented.”

A long silence followed.

Then Daniel laughed.

“Are you threatening me?”

“No.”

I closed the file.

“I’m inviting you to a meeting on Friday.”

“What meeting?”

“The one concerning your research funding.”

His voice changed instantly.

“What could you possibly have to do with my funding?”

I smiled.

“Show up and you’ll find out.”

Daniel entered Northstar Biomedical’s conference room Friday morning looking every bit as confident as he had at the airport.

Vanessa came with him.

Marcus was already seated.

Two attorneys sat nearby.

A forensic accountant stood beside a presentation screen.

Then Daniel saw me.

I was sitting at the head of the table.

He stopped walking.

“What are you doing here?”

I gestured toward the chair opposite me.

“Sit.”

Instead, he turned toward Marcus.

“Why is Emily in this meeting?”

Marcus looked at him calmly.

“Because Emily founded Northstar Biomedical.”

Daniel didn’t move.

Vanessa whispered,

“What?”

I pushed a corporate ownership record across the table.

“Seventy-two percent.”

Daniel picked it up.

His face changed.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“This is impossible.”

“You never asked what I was doing while you were living overseas.”

He stared at me.

“You funded my lab?”

“Northstar funded your lab.”

He jumped to his feet.

“This is revenge.”

I didn’t raise my voice.

“Sit down.”

For once, he listened.

The forensic accountant turned on the screen.

Transaction after transaction appeared.

Equipment reimbursements.