Back in Evelyn’s downtown office, the attorney pulled a small, silver flash drive from an envelope. It looked unremarkable, a generic piece of hardware.
“This,” Evelyn stated, placing it on the polished mahogany desk, “is from a private musician’s union arbitration. Damon’s sworn testimony.”
Maya leaned forward, her eyes fixed on the device. “What did he say?”
“He admitted to hiding tour profits,” Evelyn explained. “Intentionally delaying your album royalties to keep you financially dependent on him.”
Evelyn paused, pushing the drive closer to Maya. “He admitted it all under oath, three weeks ago, during a confidential session.”
A knot tightened in Maya’s chest. The betrayal felt like a fresh wound.
“But there’s a problem,” Evelyn continued, holding up a finger. “Because it was private arbitration, it’s inadmissible in civil court. Not without a lengthy validation process we don’t have time for.”
Maya reached out, her fingers closing around the cold metal of the flash drive. It felt like a heavy secret.
“Keep it close,” Evelyn advised. “You never know when a secret might find its way out.”
Later, in the quiet of her apartment, Maya slipped the drive into a zippered compartment inside her coat pocket. She watched Toby, playing with his blocks on the rug, his small, observant eyes following her movements.
He didn’t say a word, just watched her zip the pocket closed.
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