Small Hands Novel Chapter 06

Small Hands Novel Chapter 06

My attorney, Diana Reeves, didn’t sugarcoat anything.

“He’s claiming half of Vesper. Community property-built during the marriage.”

“Vesper was founded three years before I met him. Under my alias.”

“Which he’s calling hidden assets. Fraud against a spouse.” Diana slid the filing across her desk. “His team is painting you as a manipulative,

secretive woman who controlled her husband through deception.”

“He stole my music and committed federal fraud, and I’m the manipulative one?”

“Welcome to divorce court.”

I signed her counter-motions and walked out, but Sienna’s message burned in my mind.

Recordings you don’t want the world to hear.

I’d been meticulous about separating my identities. Every contract, every communication-triple-encrypted, compartmentalized.

But Sienna had lived in our guest house for three years. She’d had access to my home studio. My files.

My voice memos.

The blood left my face.

I kept audio diaries-raw, unfiltered confessions recorded since I was sixteen. And two years ago, I’d discussed something in those recordings that could destroy everything: I’d ghost-produced the debut album for Zara Kaye-the biggest female artist on the planet. Zara’s brand was built entirely on being a “self-made songwriter.” If Sienna had a recording of me discussing the Zara project by name, it wouldn’t just hurt me-it would end Zara’s career, trigger a two-billion-dollar breach-of-contract lawsuit, and shatter every artist relationship Vesper had.

I called Frank. “We have a problem.”

Twenty minutes later, the war room.

“The voice memos were on a portable drive in my home studio,” I said. “Sienna had a key.”

“If she copied them, we’re looking at catastrophic exposure.” Frank rubbed his temples. “We need those files.”

“I can’t move. I’m under surveillance from the divorce, the FBI, the press.”

My phone rang. Rhys.

“Sienna Frost just contacted my company,” he said. “Offering to sell ‘damaging recordings of V’ for five million dollars”

My stomach dropped. “She’s shopping them around.”

“Three buyers I know of. My company, a tabloid group, and Zara Kaye’s management.”

“If Zara’s people hear those recordings-”

Which is why I’ve already handled it. His voice was steel. “My team’s been monitoring Sienna since the showcase. She’s not the mastermind she

thinks she is. The drive is in a storage unit in West Hollywood. Cloud backup password: ‘JaxAndSienna2023.”

Despite everything, I almost laughed.

*Files are being wiped now,” he continued. “Storage unit will be empty within the hour.”

“Rhys, that’s completely illegal.”

“Absolutely. But I told you-I owe you everything for Unbroken. Consider it settled.” His voice dropped. “No one weaponizes your voice against you,

Wren. Not while I’m breathing.”

My hands were shaking.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. Promise me something. When this is all over-let me take you to Scotland. My family’s estate on the coast. No lawyers, no

labels. Just the sea.” A pause. “And me, desperately trying to impress you.”

The line went dead.

Frank was watching me with ancient, knowing eyes.

“Not a word,” I said.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” But the old man was smiling.