CHAPTER 7: The Envelope Beneath the Linen

Mira did not want revenge. She wanted Leo safe.
That was why she had carried the envelope for three weeks, hidden beneath clean linen on the service cart, sealed with tape and fear. Inside were copies of schedules Isadora had altered, messages from assistants, and forms Mira had found in the private study after a printer jammed at midnight.
She had planned to mail it to Elliot's attorney if she was fired.
Now Elliot stood in front of her, and Leo would not let go.
Mira set the tray down with care. Several champagne glasses trembled but did not fall. The sound made guests flinch anyway.
She took the envelope from the cart and held it out.
Isadora's perfect face changed for the first time.
"Do not take that," she said.
Elliot took it.
No one spoke while he opened the first page. The chandelier above them burned so white it made the paper look surgical.
By the third line, Elliot's jaw tightened. By the second page, the trustees behind him stopped pretending this was a family matter.