Chapter Twenty-Five: The Meeting

We met Victor Hale in a warehouse on the edge of the city.

It was Adrian's idea. Neutral ground. No windows. No cameras. No one watching.

Sloane secured the location. Felix set up the recording equipment. Priya and Marcus stayed back at the office. Daniel stayed at the penthouse, under guard.

I stood by the door when Victor walked in. He looked older than he had in the coffee shop. More tired. More afraid.

"Miss Voss," he said.

"Elena."

He nodded. He looked around the room. He saw Adrian. He stopped.

"Mr. Kane."

"Mr. Hale."

They didn't shake hands. They just looked at each other. Two men who had been circling the same enemy for years.

"I know who you are," Victor said. "I know what Henry did to your father."

Adrian didn't respond. He just waited.

"I was there. I saw the documents. I helped him set the trap."

Adrian's jaw tightened. But he didn't move.

"I didn't know what he was planning. I didn't know he would destroy your family. I just did what I was told."

"You did what you were paid to do."

Victor flinched. "Yes."

Adrian walked toward him. He stopped a few feet away. He looked at Victor. Really looked.

"You're not the first person who's told me they didn't know. You won't be the last."

Victor didn't respond. He just stood there.

"But you're here now. You're trying to make it right. That counts for something."

Victor looked at him. He looked at me. He looked at Adrian.

"Thank you," he said.

Adrian didn't respond. He just turned and walked to the table. He sat down.

"Let's talk," he said.

---

Victor sat across from us. He opened his briefcase. He pulled out documents. Photographs. Recordings.

"This is everything I have," he said. "Everything I kept. I couldn't destroy it. I couldn't let it go."

Adrian studied the documents. He didn't react. He just read. He looked at the photographs. He listened to the recordings.

When he finished, he set them down.

"This is enough," he said. "This is more than enough."

Victor nodded. "I know."

"Why now?" I asked. "Why come forward now?"

Victor looked at me. His eyes were tired. Haunted.

"Because I heard you're going after him. Because I heard you're married to Adrian Kane. Because I realized I've been running for fifteen years and I'm tired."

I looked at him. He looked at me.

"I don't trust you," I said.

"I know."

"But I'll take the evidence. And I'll use it."

He nodded. "That's all I ask."

---

After Victor left, we stayed in the warehouse.

Adrian sat at the table. He was staring at the documents. The photographs. The recordings.

I sat across from him.

"He was there," Adrian said. "When Henry destroyed my father. He helped set the trap."

"I know."

"He's the reason my father died."

"I know."

Adrian looked at me. His eyes were dark. Unreadable.

"And you want to work with him."

"I don't want to work with him. I want to use him. There's a difference."

Adrian held my gaze. Neither of us spoke.

"He's a tool," I said. "Nothing more. He helped destroy your father. He helped destroy my mother. And now he's going to help us destroy Henry. That's justice. Not forgiveness."

Adrian was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded.

"You're right," he said.

"I know."

He reached for my hand. He took it. His fingers were warm. Steady.

"Let's finish this," he said.

I looked at our hands. I looked at him.

"Okay," I said.

We sat there. The evidence spread across the table. The recordings. The photographs. The documents.

After a while, I leaned my head against his shoulder. He didn't move. He just let me.

We stayed there until the sun came up.

---

That night, I found Adrian on the balcony.

He was standing at the railing. The air was cold. He didn't seem to notice.

I stood beside him. He didn't turn.

"He was there," he said. "When Henry destroyed my father. He was there."

"I know."

"He watched. He didn't stop it."

"I know."

Adrian turned. He looked at me. His eyes were dark. Unreadable.

"How do you do it?" he asked.

"Do what?"

"Forgive."

I considered the question. "I don't."

He frowned. "What?"

"I don't forgive. I just use. I take what they give me and I use it to destroy them. That's not forgiveness. It's strategy."

Adrian looked at me. Really looked. Something shifted in his expression. Something I hadn't seen before. Something like respect.

"You're different," he said.

"Different how?"

"Stronger."

I didn't respond. I didn't know how.

He reached for my hand. He took it. His fingers were warm. Steady.

"Let's finish this," he said.

I looked at our hands. I looked at him.

"Okay," I said.

We stood there. The city hummed outside. The wind picked up.

After a while, I leaned my head against his shoulder. He didn't move. He just let me.

We stayed there until the sun came up.