“Item one,” said Arthur Bell, his voice a little unsteady. “The Sterling Group investment.” One of the Sterling team, a tall woman with silver hair, turned to me. “Mrs Hart, before you vote, are you aware of the terms?”

“I've read every page,” I said. “Twelve million for thirty per cent of a company that made nine million profit last year. It's far too cheap.”

She raised an eyebrow, then smiled slightly. “It is cheap. Mr Hart was in a hurry.”

“I know why,” I said. “He wanted the money before our divorce was final. And he wanted a four-million-pound bonus out of it.”

Daniel found his voice. “That's a lie. Grace, you don't know anything about—”

Marcus slid a printed email across the table. Daniel's email, to his own lawyer. Move the bonus into the new account the day it lands. She can't touch what she can't see.

“The company's server keeps copies of everything,” Marcus said mildly. “As majority shareholder, Mrs Hart has every right to see them.”

The silver-haired woman closed her folder.

“Sterling Group withdraws its offer,” she said. “We don't invest in companies where the chief executive hides money from his own shareholders.”

“Then I vote no,” I said. “Item two.”