Chapter 5

Somewhere between sleep and waking, I heard a knock on the door.

Very faint.

I forgot about my abdominal wound and sat up violently.

The incision pulled, and I hissed in a sharp breath of pain.

But I couldn't care less.

I walked to the door, taking a deep breath.

"Who is it?"

Silence for two seconds.

Then, a low, familiar voice spoke.

"Mara. It's me."

My eyes instantly burned.

I pulled the door open.

Standing outside was a man in his early forties.

His face was hard, with an old scar at the right corner of his eye. He wore a dark grey jacket, standing in the shadows of the hallway.

Gabriel Shaw.

Head of Security and Special Projects for the Lancaster family.

And one of the failsafes my father had arranged for me.

He looked at me, his eyes dropping to my abdomen.

His brow furrowed, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Mara, are you alright?"

I looked at him.

Days of forced endurance, suffocating rage, and sheer terror suddenly lodged in my throat.

I wanted to say I was fine, but my voice broke first.

The tears finally fell.

I didn't make a sound. I just stood in the doorway, letting the tears stream down my face.

Gabriel didn't say a word, nor did he reach out.

He just stood there, like a wall.

A dozen seconds later, I took a deep breath and wiped my tears.

"I'm not dead yet."

Gabriel stepped sideways, revealing an empty corridor.

"I terminated Evan's security contract under your name. The new team is in place."

I nodded and let him in.

He stepped into the guest room, his eyes scanning the cramped space.

I shut the door, my back leaning against it.

"Evan is transferring Lumen Group's assets into his own name and his associates'."

Gabriel turned to face me.

"I need proof of his crimes. Everything that proves he embezzled corporate funds."

"The lawyers initiated evidence preservation. Forensic accountants are auditing the records. Feds will secure the Cayman shell company files through international channels."

He answered quickly.

I nodded.

"Dr. Adrian Worth."

When that name came out of my mouth, it was as cold as ice.

"He intentionally destroyed my ability to have children. I need the surgical logs and every piece of evidence proving his malpractice. He took a $750,000 bribe."

Gabriel's eyes darkened.

"The funds were routed through multiple layers. Evan's private account, to a shell company, and finally into Dr. Worth's name."

He reached into his jacket and handed me an envelope.

"Copies of what we have so far. The lawyers and investigators are securing the originals."

I took the envelope but didn't open it.

"Claire and Noah. I want full background checks. Noah's birth records, paternity tests, six years of financial support records."

I paused.

"And how Claire and Evan met, when it started, all of it."

"It's being handled."

Gabriel's tone was steady.

"The lawyers are getting court orders for the state health department records. They'll subpoena the hospital for the obstetrics and delivery files."

"Don't tell me."

I cut him off.

"When the evidence is complete, I'll read it myself."

I refused to let myself be sliced open by the truth one drop at a time.

I wanted to rip the wound open all at once and carve out all the rot inside.

Gabriel remained silent for two seconds, then nodded.

He handed me a smartphone.

Black, brand new, unmarked.

"Encrypted emergency phone on the independent network. Evan can't touch this."

I took it, the cold metal casing pressing against my palm.

"My father..."

Gabriel watched me, waiting for me to finish.

"Don't tell him yet. When I have all the evidence, I'll tell him myself."

He hesitated.

"If Victor finds out..."

"I know."

I cut him off again.

"So, don't tell him yet."

If my father knew, he'd instantly deploy his lawyers, security, and corporate resources to crush Evan.

But I didn't want that.

I wanted Evan alive.

Alive to watch me take back every single thing he had stolen, grabbed, and schemed from me.

Chapter 5

Somewhere between sleep and waking, I heard a knock on the door.

Very faint.

I forgot about my abdominal wound and sat up violently.

The incision pulled, and I hissed in a sharp breath of pain.

But I couldn't care less.

I walked to the door, taking a deep breath.

"Who is it?"

Silence for two seconds.

Then, a low, familiar voice spoke.

"Mara. It's me."

My eyes instantly burned.

I pulled the door open.

Standing outside was a man in his early forties.

His face was hard, with an old scar at the right corner of his eye. He wore a dark grey jacket, standing in the shadows of the hallway.

Gabriel Shaw.

Head of Security and Special Projects for the Lancaster family.

And one of the failsafes my father had arranged for me.

He looked at me, his eyes dropping to my abdomen.

His brow furrowed, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Mara, are you alright?"

I looked at him.

Days of forced endurance, suffocating rage, and sheer terror suddenly lodged in my throat.

I wanted to say I was fine, but my voice broke first.

The tears finally fell.

I didn't make a sound. I just stood in the doorway, letting the tears stream down my face.

Gabriel didn't say a word, nor did he reach out.

He just stood there, like a wall.

A dozen seconds later, I took a deep breath and wiped my tears.

"I'm not dead yet."

Gabriel stepped sideways, revealing an empty corridor.

"I terminated Evan's security contract under your name. The new team is in place."

I nodded and let him in.

He stepped into the guest room, his eyes scanning the cramped space.

I shut the door, my back leaning against it.

"Evan is transferring Lumen Group's assets into his own name and his associates'."

Gabriel turned to face me.

"I need proof of his crimes. Everything that proves he embezzled corporate funds."

"The lawyers initiated evidence preservation. Forensic accountants are auditing the records. Feds will secure the Cayman shell company files through international channels."

He answered quickly.

I nodded.

"Dr. Adrian Worth."

When that name came out of my mouth, it was as cold as ice.

"He intentionally destroyed my ability to have children. I need the surgical logs and every piece of evidence proving his malpractice. He took a $750,000 bribe."

Gabriel's eyes darkened.

"The funds were routed through multiple layers. Evan's private account, to a shell company, and finally into Dr. Worth's name."

He reached into his jacket and handed me an envelope.

"Copies of what we have so far. The lawyers and investigators are securing the originals."

I took the envelope but didn't open it.

"Claire and Noah. I want full background checks. Noah's birth records, paternity tests, six years of financial support records."

I paused.

"And how Claire and Evan met, when it started, all of it."

"It's being handled."

Gabriel's tone was steady.

"The lawyers are getting court orders for the state health department records. They'll subpoena the hospital for the obstetrics and delivery files."

"Don't tell me."

I cut him off.

"When the evidence is complete, I'll read it myself."

I refused to let myself be sliced open by the truth one drop at a time.

I wanted to rip the wound open all at once and carve out all the rot inside.

Gabriel remained silent for two seconds, then nodded.

He handed me a smartphone.

Black, brand new, unmarked.

"Encrypted emergency phone on the independent network. Evan can't touch this."

I took it, the cold metal casing pressing against my palm.

"My father..."

Gabriel watched me, waiting for me to finish.

"Don't tell him yet. When I have all the evidence, I'll tell him myself."

He hesitated.

"If Victor finds out..."

"I know."

I cut him off again.

"So, don't tell him yet."

If my father knew, he'd instantly deploy his lawyers, security, and corporate resources to crush Evan.

But I didn't want that.

I wanted Evan alive.

Alive to watch me take back every single thing he had stolen, grabbed, and schemed from me.