Chapter 26 · The Heir Takes the Mic

The red ON AIR light blinked on.

Vivian's hand was already on the microphone. Roy lunged for the studio door. James caught his arm. The engineer behind the glass went pale but didn't cut the feed.

"Good evening." Vivian's voice crackled through every radio in the city. "This is Vivian Ashford. I need to tell you about the night my brother drowned."

Roy stopped fighting. His face went white.

"Turn it off," he hissed at the engineer. "Turn it off now or you'll never work in this city again."

The engineer looked at James. James shook his head.

Vivian kept talking.

"Seven years ago, in the summer of 1920, my brother Daniel and I were in Europe. Our father had sent us to tour the hotels there. Learn the business. We were in Switzerland." She paused. Her throat was dry. "Daniel found something. Papers. Contracts. Money moving through accounts that shouldn't exist."

Silas stood behind her. Close enough that she could feel him there. Not touching. Just present.

"He confronted Father's business partner. Philip Roy." Vivian looked through the glass. Roy's face was stone now. "Roy was there. He told Daniel it was complicated.