Chapter 1

My younger brother, Oliver Lawson, called while I was standing in the grocery store, trying to pick out yogurt for my daughter, Emma Sullivan.

"Daphne, you've helped me more than I can ever repay over the years," he said. "My company's making money now, and I want to transfer 30% of the shares to you."

I froze in front of the cooler, convinced I'd misheard him. "What did you just say?"

"I'm transferring 30% of the company to you. I've already had my lawyer draw up the paperwork. All you have to do is come sign it."

Oliver's tone was relaxed and sincere, as though it were no big deal at all.

Warmth spread through my chest when I heard that.

Our parents had died years ago, leaving just the two of us to depend on each other. Back when Oliver was trying to get his business off the ground, I'd loaned him every penny I'd saved after my divorce. I'd even pulled Emma out of her tutoring program for a semester.

Now that his company had finally taken off, he wanted to show his gratitude. Everything I'd done for my little brother hadn't been for nothing.

So, I set the yogurt down and took a cab straight to his office.

…

When I arrived, Oliver came out to greet me. A smile played on his lips as he led me into his office. "Take a seat, Daphne. Everything's ready."

A thick share transfer agreement sat on his desk, with a pen resting beside it.

I picked up the pen. Just as I was about to flip to the signature page, lines of red text flashed before my eyes.

The first one read, "Don't sign it! Those aren't the kind of shares that pay dividends! They'll make you responsible for the company's debts!"

"The company's already underwater. The second you sign, you'll become jointly liable, and that 30-million-dollar debt becomes yours!"

"Your home, your savings, and even the house you bought so your daughter could attend a better school will all be taken from you!"

My hand froze in midair. The tip of the pen hovered less than half an inch above the paper, while the comments kept popping up.

Another one read, "He owes money to loan sharks. The debt collectors will show up next week, and he needs someone else to take the fall!"

"The moment you sign, he'll slip away clean while you're left holding the bag!"

"Wake up! He's not repaying your kindness. He's ruining your life!"

I blinked hard. The red words were perfectly clear, one line after another drifting before my eyes.

"Daphne, what are you looking at?"

Oliver's voice snapped me back to reality.

He smiled, patted the back of my hand, and added, "After you sign, dinner's on you."

The instant his hand touched mine, I heard his voice inside my head. "It has been hard on Daphne. She's been raising Emma alone ever since the divorce. I've been wanting to do something for her.

"Next quarter's dividends should be at least 100 thousand dollars. That'll be enough for her to pay off the mortgage.

"Mom and Dad are gone. It's just us two now. If I don't look out for her, who will?"

The words were heartfelt, each one coming straight from the heart. But the comments kept appearing before my eyes.

There was Oliver's genuine love, and there were those red texts screaming at me. Which one was I supposed to believe?

I set the pen down and smiled. "This agreement's pretty thick. Let me read through the terms before I sign."

"Of course. Take your time, Daphne. There's no rush."

Oliver didn't seem bothered in the slightest. He poured me a cup of coffee before settling onto the couch across from me.

Then, he pulled out his phone and started scrolling, looking completely unconcerned.

I flipped through the agreement and pretended to study the terms. In reality, I couldn't make myself focus on a single word of the dense legal jargon.

The comments insisted Oliver was trying to hurt me. But could a person's innermost thoughts really be fake?

I turned a few pages. Suddenly, my gaze landed on a line of small print.

It read, "From the date this agreement is signed, the transferee shall assume joint liability for any existing company debts in proportion to their ownership share."

My heart sank. Joint liability?

If the company had no debts, then the clause would mean nothing. But if it did…

"Oliver." I looked up. "What does this joint liability clause mean?"

He leaned over, glanced at it, and smiled, waving it off.

"It's just standard legal boilerplate. Every share transfer agreement has clauses like that. My company doesn't have any debt, so it doesn't really matter."

Oliver sounded relaxed, with nothing to hide.

I stared into his eyes to search for even a trace of guilt. But his gaze was steady, carrying only the faint resignation of someone thinking I was overreacting.

I hesitated. Maybe the comments really were nothing more than hallucinations. Maybe I was being too sensitive.

So, I picked up the pen again.

This time, the red text exploded across my vision in bold, enlarged characters. "Sign it, and you're dead!"

My hand trembled, and I set the pen down again.