Richard stood in the rain as if he were waiting outside a restaurant instead of blocking my escape.

“You look terrible,” he said.

“You left me in the river.”

“You fell.”

“Julian pushed me, and you watched.”

Richard glanced toward Ana and Mateus.

“My wife is in shock.

Please help me bring her back to the lodge.”

Ana locked the doors.

“Your wife asked us to take her to the authorities.”

“My wife does not know what she is saying.”

I pushed the door open and stepped onto my injured ankle.

Mateus caught my arm, but I kept my eyes on Richard.

“Give me my passport.”

“Get into my vehicle first.”

“No.”

His smile disappeared.

“You cannot win this by making a scene.”

“You tried to erase me, Richard.

A scene is the least of your worries.”

Headlights appeared behind us.

A ranger truck came around the bend, and two uniformed officers climbed out.

Richard lifted both hands.

“Thank goodness.

My wife suffered a terrible fall and wandered away.”

Officer Silva looked at my torn dress and bandaged palm.

“Mrs.

Thorne, do you want to go with this man?”

“No.

I want to make a statement.”

Richard stepped closer.

“Eleanor, think about Julian.”

“I am.

For the first time, I am thinking clearly about him.”

At the ranger outpost, Officer Silva recorded every word while a medic examined my ankle.

Richard sat across the room with his lawyer on the satellite phone.

“You have no proof,” Richard said when the officer left us briefly.

“Only the word of an angry old woman.”

“You spent forty-six years beside me and learned nothing.”

“I learned that you value the company more than your family.”

“My company never pushed me into a river.”

His jaw tightened.

“Sign the succession papers.

Julian takes control, you retire quietly, and this misunderstanding ends.”

“Is that your offer?”

“It is mercy.”

“No, Richard.

Mercy is what you needed before the boat pulled away.”

Officer Silva returned carrying a clear evidence bag.

My passport and phone were inside.

“We found these in Mr.

Thorne’s vehicle,” he said.

“He claims you gave them to him.”

“I did not.”

Richard pointed at me.

“She always gives me her documents when we travel.”

“Then why was her resignation letter folded inside her passport?” Officer Silva asked.

For the first time, Richard had no answer.

My recovered phone rang inside the bag.

The screen displayed the name Martin Vale, Thorne Meridian’s general counsel.

“Put it on speaker,” I said.

Officer Silva answered and held it between us.

“Eleanor?” Martin sounded breathless.

“Thank God.

Julian told the board you were missing.”

“I am alive.

Cancel every succession action.”

A long pause followed.

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“The board received your signed resignation six hours ago.

Richard also submitted a medical declaration saying you had shown serious confusion for months.”

“That declaration is false.”

“Perhaps, but the board voted.

Julian is acting chief executive until a competency hearing can be held.”

Richard leaned back in his chair.

“Tell her the rest,” he said.

Martin cleared his throat.

“All corporate accounts tied to your personal authority have been temporarily frozen.”

“You prepared this before we entered the Amazon,” I said.

“I followed lawful instructions.”

“Whose instructions?”

Martin disconnected.

Richard stood and buttoned his wet jacket.

“You may have survived the river, Eleanor, but you have already lost everything that made anyone listen to you.”

Officer Silva blocked the doorway.

“You are not free to leave yet, Mr.

Thorne.”

Richard looked at me over the officer’s shoulder.

“By tomorrow,” he said, “even your own board will call you a liar.”

My phone lit up again.

This time it was Harriet Cross, the oldest independent director at Thorne Meridian.

Her first words were not a greeting.

“Eleanor, I am looking at a video of you signing that resignation.”