Chapter 6

The bank representative frowned. "That'll shut down half of the Moretti Family's business in Blackhaven."

"That's exactly what I want, " I replied.

The lawyer looked at me. "And then?"

"Call for a family hearing. All six major families of Blackhaven have to be there. I want to lay out the medical records, the freeze order, and Sophie's unauthorized actions for everyone to see."

Cedric sat at the end of the table, tapping his fingers twice on the tabletop. "Do you know what this means?"

"It means Lucas will be backed into a corner."

"It also means he might come after you."

I smiled. "He already has."

Cedric looked at me, his gaze growing more intense. "Elena, you don't have to act like nothing's wrong around me."

I looked down at the drawing in Nora's box. There were three people in the picture: Nora, Lucas and me.

She'd made Lucas's arm unusually long, so he could hold on to both of us at once.

Next to it, in messy handwriting, it said: "Daddy, come home." The last letter was written the wrong way around.

I ran my finger softly over those words. "I'm fine. I'll only start worrying after he pays the price for all he's done."

There was a knock at the study door.

A bodyguard walked in. "Mr. Vallen, someone from the Moretti Family is here."

Cedric didn't move. "Who is it?"

"Lucas."

I looked up at the bodyguard. Cedric looked at me. "Should we let him in?"

I tucked Nora's drawing into my bag. "Let him in."

Lucas stood in the grand foyer of the mansion. His black coat was still wet from the rain, and the calm he'd managed at the funeral had almost gone.

As soon as he saw me coming down the stairs, he moved toward me, but Cedric's bodyguard stepped in to block him.

"Elena. Can we talk?" His voice was husky.

I paused at the very last step. "You want to talk? My lawyer's upstairs, go talk to him."

"I'm your husband."

"Not for long."

His face darkened. "You're actually going to marry him?"

"You're asking me that at our daughter's funeral?" I shot back.

Lucas looked like he'd been punched in the gut, his eyes full of pain. "I didn't know Nora would die."

I said, "You knew I called you twenty-seven times. You knew our accounts were frozen. You knew she was in the hospital the whole time."

"Sophie showed me the report. She said it was a normal infection."

"So you chose to believe her."

He fell silent.

I stepped down the last stair and stood right in front of him. "Lucas, you weren't tricked."

He looked at me.

"You always put her first. Never me," I added.

That shattered him; his gaze went blank.

He reached out, trying to touch me. I stepped back.

Cedric stepped out from the study and took his place at my side.

Lucas stared at Cedric's hand. "Don't touch her."

Cedric's smile was barely there. "You don't have the right to order anyone around anymore."

Lucas was trying to hold back his anger. "This is about Elena and me."

"It's also about Blackhaven," I said.

He looked at me.

I pulled out the temporary restraining order. "Effective immediately, the Moretti Family's three docks are frozen. The Blackhaven family hearing will be held at 8 p.m. the day after tomorrow. You, Sophie, and every document you signed will be there."

Lucas's face went pale, with the last bit of color draining from his face. "Are you going to bring down the Moretti Family?"

I met his gaze. "No. I'm going to destroy the ones responsible for Nora's death."