Ruby watched Stefan carefully. His expression was unreadable, but she could feel the way his fingers drummed faintly on the desk's edge—his silent tell that he was analyzing, weighing, dissecting.
"I appreciate the candor," Stefan said finally. "But I don't make alliances based on flattery or convenience."
"I wouldn't expect you to," Ashford replied. "Which is why I came with proof."
He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a thin folder, sliding it across the desk.
Stefan didn't move, so Ruby opened it instead. Her eyes skimmed the pages—and her stomach dropped.
"These are… internal communications," she said. "From Richard's office."
"Stolen?" Stefan asked dryly.
"Leaked," Ashford corrected. "By someone who no longer believes in his vision."
Ruby read quickly, her fingers tightening on the page. "Richard's planning to move funds from the employee benefits reserve into a dummy offshore account. If this went public…"
