CHAPTER 13: The Ledger Learns to Speak

Jonah did not accuse her first.
He opened the ledger instead.
Inside were transfers from vendor deposits into shell companies, eviction notices drafted before hearings, and a signed proposal to sell North Pier to a luxury developer after forcing out the original stalls. Celia's name appeared rarely. Vanessa's appeared everywhere, always beside initials that tried and failed to hide ownership.
'Grandfather kept copies because he knew someone was emptying the market while using his illness as a curtain,' Jonah said.
Celia's face hardened. 'You are unstable.'
Jonah looked down at his stained shirt. 'Maybe. But unstable people can still own voting shares.'
That was when the private attorney stepped through the crowd. He was old, damp from harbor mist, and carrying a black folder sealed with the same stag emblem as the key.
Celia stopped breathing for half a second. Everyone saw it.