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He turned toward her, his face softening. “Relax.” He winked, and though his tone was playful, his hand closed over hers briefly. His thumb brushed her knuckles.

She rubbed her chest. “Relax? Really?”

As their bus began to roll out of the parking lot, Noah leaned back, his posture deceptively casual. In reality, his mind was already working overtime. Brandt was within reach, but tonight wasn’t about confrontation. It was about observation.Play it cool, watch him slip, and let him hang himself.

He squeezed Ruth’s hand one last time, then let it go, his lips quirking into a half smile. “We’re in for an interesting night.”

Ruth nodded. “Interesting? That’s one way to put it.”

Noah chuckled.

* * *

The bus hummed steadilyas it rolled along the highway, the low chatter of passengers creating a soft background noise. Ruth sat stiffly in her seat, trying to ignore the rapid thrum of her pulse. Noah, ever observant, leaned in slightly, his voice low and warm against her ear.

"Listen to me," he whispered, the scent of his cologne wrapping around her senses.

She glanced at him, curious but wary.

“Alright, here’s what I’ve got on Matt Brandt.” He interlaced his fingers with hers. “He lives at Aspen Ridge Condominiums, unit 14B. He’s got the usual social media presence—Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, all under his name or some professional variation.

“Academically? Nothing special. He was a mid-level student in high school, scraped by in college with a 2.9 GPA in political science, then managed a 3.1 in law school at Midwestern State. Not exactly top of his class, and not sure how that got him into Ellison & Grant. Still looking into that.”

Noah tapped his fingers on his thigh. “Now, this is where things get interesting. His personal life? A mess. Jessica Manning filed a restraining order against him—later withdrawn. Erin Hawthorne supposedly got a financial settlement after some workplace misconduct. Then there’s Paige Carrington. That breakup went public, with allegations of verbal harassment. Not a great track record.”

He leaned forward. “And then there’s the money. We’re looking at several unexplained payouts—$10,000 to $20,000 at a time—coming from private accounts. Some of those transactions line up with his time at Ellison & Grant, where, by coincidence, the firm’s petty cash account kept showing weird discrepancies. The amounts? Suspiciously close to the withdrawals he was making.”

Noah exhaled. “Now, no formal complaints have been filed against him—either in law school or at the firm—but the rumors are everywhere. Harassment, shady deals, HR concerns that got dismissed due to ‘lack of evidence.’ Officially, he’s clean. Unofficially? Brandt’s got skeletons, and they’re not buried as deep as he thinks. Clearly someone in the firm is protecting him. Any idea who?”

Her eyebrows shot up. "This... this is a day’s work?" she asked incredulously.

Noah smirked. “You’re not the only lawyer who knows how to work fast,” he said, leaning back with a self-satisfied grin.

Her head whipped toward him. “Wait, did you say lawyer?”

“Guilty as charged,” he teased, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “University of Chicago Law School. Top of my class. Well, almost. We’ve all got baggage.”

“You’re kidding.” Ruth’s voice was a mix of surprise and disbelief.

“Nope.” He chuckled, clearly enjoying her reaction. “Alex is an attorney too. Everyone in our division is. Helps when you’re investigating people like Brandt.”

Ruth blinked, her expression shifting rapidly between amazement and something softer, almost vulnerable. “That explains why you’re so... meticulous.”

Noah tilted his head, studying her face. “Meticulous, huh? I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It is,” she said shyly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. She found Noah watching her closely. Then his voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “So, how’s my personal portfolio? Am I hired?”

Ruth laughed softly. “Depends. Do you bill hourly?”

“Only if you want me to.” His tone was teasing, but his eyes lingered on hers a moment too long.

Before Ruth could respond, a shadow fell over them. She looked up, her stomach sinking.Matt Brandt.

“Ruthie,” Matt said, his tone dripping with exaggerated cheer. “You did tell me you’d be bringing someone. And who’s this?”

She watched as Noah stood slowly, his movements controlled, deliberate. “Noah Kandor,” he said, extending a hand. His knuckles whitened as he shook Matt’s hand.