Page 87 of Lost Then Found
Miller’s lips curve. “Come on, Lark. You know me. I don’t just Google things. I investigate. Pull some strings, make some calls.” She taps her manicured nails against the page. “On the surface, these companies look fine. Great, even. Strong financials, good PR, no glaring red flags.”
I exhale. “Okay…”
She lifts a single finger. “However.”
“Of course there’s ahowever.”
“You’re welcome. I started looking at the real transactions. Not just the glossy reports Tate handed you, but the filings that don’t get front-page treatment.”
I frown. “Like?”
Miller slides a document toward me and taps a paragraph with a red-painted nail. “For starters, one of the investment firms involved—Atlas Holdings—has been flagged in multiple states for financial discrepancies. Inflating property values, underreporting tax liabilities, sketchy developmentdeals where the numbers just…don’t add up.”
My stomach tightens. “Are we talkinggray areaillegal ordefinitely-going-to-jailillegal?”
“If I were wearing my official lawyer hat, I’d saygray area. If I were wearing myI know how this shit goeshat, I’d say they’re playing real fast and loose with some laws. And the second someone looks too closely, it’s all going to come crashing down.”
I run my fingers through my hair. “So if I sell to Tate and he’s using them to back his deal—”
Miller nods. “Your name could get tangled up in their mess. Maybe not legally, but publicly? If something blows up, your diner could end up part of some big fraud investigation.”
I stare at the paper in front of me, my pulse drumming in my ears. “Jesus.”
Miller leans back, crossing her arms. “You could still sell. But if I were you, I’d make damn sure you knew exactly where the money’s coming from before you sign anything.”
My fingers tighten around the edges of the folder. I knew something felt off about Tate, but this? This is a whole new level of wrong.
I drag a hand over my face. “Tate’s coming by in an hour. He wants to talk about what I’m gonna do.”
Miller raises an eyebrow, reaching for her lemon bar. “Oh, that should be fun. Give him a swift kick to the balls for me.”
I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head. “Yeah. I’ll do that.” I press my palms against the desk, staring at the paperwork like it might suddenly rearrange itself into something that makes sense. “I can’t sell to him now, can I?”
Miller chews thoughtfully, then swallows. “I wouldn’t recommend it.”
I huff out a breath, leaning back in my chair. “What if I bring this up to him and he just smooths it over with more bullshit?” My jaw tightens. “That man could sell ice to a damn glacier.”
“Then you’re gonna have to make him work a hell of a lot harder than that, aren’t you?”
My stomach twists. It’s easy to sit here and talk about Tate and his shady dealings, but it’s a lot harder to ignore what I’d be giving up if I walked away from his offer. That kind of money would change my entire life. I’d have time with Hudson.Realtime. Not stolen hours in between shifts, not rushed conversations over late-night takeout. We could travel, we could see the world.
I rub a hand over my chest, over the tightness settling there. “I don’t know what to do.”
Miller watches me, her sharp green eyes softer now. “I think you do.”
“What wouldyoudo?”
Miller leans back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other. “I wouldn’t take the money.”
I swallow. “Why not?”
She tilts her head, considering. “Because money’s nice, sure. But not if it comes with a storm cloud hanging over it. Not if it means constantly wondering when the other shoe’s gonna drop. And definitely not if it means waking up every morning hoping your nameisn’tin some headline tied to a bunch of corrupt assholes.” She lifts her brows. “You already have enough on your plate, babe. You really wanna add a scandal to it?”
I let out a slow breath, nodding. I already knew the answer, deep down. I just needed someone else to say it. “Okay, but what if Tate tries to take the diner from me anyway? Is there any way he could do that legally?”
Miller snorts, setting her lemon bar down and dusting off her hands. “Legally? Not unless you signed something I don’t know about.” She pauses for a moment. “Didyou sign something I don’t know about?”
I roll my eyes. “No, Miller.”
