Elise stood at the center of Silas's private study, her fingers gliding across the photos pinned on the vengeance wall. Each face staring back at her was a reminder of the chains she'd once worn. But tonight, one name stood out, freshly added in bold ink: Victor Hale.
Victor had been her father's most ruthless ally—a banker who laundered dirty money and helped orchestrate her sale. Now, he was panicking. She could smell it in the headlines, hear it in the whispers of crumbling loyalty around the city.
Silas entered, holding two glasses of whiskey. He handed one to her. "Victor's reaching out. He wants a meeting. Claims he has information that could help you."
Elise arched a brow, swirling her drink. "Help me? Or help himself?"
"Both," Silas said simply. "He's desperate."
A slow smile curved her lips. "Good. Desperate men make mistakes."
They arranged the meeting in one of Silas's lesser-known properties—neutral ground, but entirely under his control. When Victor arrived, he was sweating through his expensive suit, the stench of fear clinging to him.
"Elise," Victor greeted, voice trembling. "You have to understand, it wasn't personal—"
She cut him off with a laugh that chilled the room. "You sold me like cattle, Victor. You don't get to beg for understanding."
Victor flinched. "I can give you names. Accounts. Evidence that could bury your father and every rotten man who stood with him."
Silas leaned casually against the wall, his gaze predatory. "And what do you want in return?"
"Protection," Victor admitted. "They'll kill me once they know I've talked."
Elise circled him like a lioness. "Why should I protect you when you didn't protect me?"
He swallowed. "Because if you don't, they'll slip through your fingers."
Elise paused, her mind calculating. This was an opportunity—a dangerous one. But it could be the key to ending them faster.
She stepped closer, her heels clicking against the marble floor. "Fine. Give me everything. But understand this, Victor—your survival depends entirely on my mercy. Cross me, and you'll wish they'd gotten to you first."
Victor nodded frantically, fumbling for a flash drive. Elise took it, her fingers brushing against his with deliberate coldness.
As they left, Silas placed a hand on her lower back, guiding her out. "You're terrifying," he murmured.
She smiled. "Good. I'm just getting started."