Chapter Twenty-Four: The Witness

Victor Hale contacted me on a Thursday.

I didn't know it was him at first. The message came through Felix—a request for a meeting. No name. No details. Just an address and a time.

"Who is it?" I asked.

Felix shrugged. "He wouldn't say. But he mentioned your mother."

I felt something cold settle in my chest. I didn't know if it was fear or hope.

"I'll go," I said.

"No," Adrian said. He was standing by the window. He'd been listening. "We don't know who this is."

"He mentioned my mother."

"That could mean anything."

I looked at him. "I'm going."

He held my gaze. His jaw tightened. But he didn't argue.

"Then I'm coming with you."

"No. If it's Victor, he'll run. He's paranoid. He doesn't trust anyone."

"Then take Sloane."

I nodded. "Fine."

---

The address was a coffee shop in the old part of the city. Small. Quiet. The kind of place where no one asked questions.

I walked in alone. Sloane waited outside.

He was at a table in the back. Older than I remembered. Gray hair. Tired eyes. He stood when he saw me.

"Miss Voss."

"Elena."

He nodded. He gestured to the chair across from him. I sat.

"You look like her," he said. "Your mother."

I didn't respond. I just waited.

He sat across from me. He folded his hands on the table. They were shaking.

"I knew your mother," he said. "I was her attorney. I helped her gather evidence against Henry Ashford."

"I know."

He looked surprised. "You know?"

"I found her journal. I found the documents. I know everything."

He was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "Then you know I failed her."

I didn't respond.

"I was supposed to protect her. I was supposed to help her expose him. But I got scared. I ran. I've been running for fifteen years."

"Why are you here now?"

He reached into his jacket. He pulled out a folder. He set it on the table.

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

I opened the folder. More documents. More photographs. More evidence.

"Why now?" I asked again.

"Because I heard you're married to Adrian Kane. Because I heard you're going after Henry. Because I want to help."

I looked at him. He looked at me.

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

He nodded. "I don't blame you."

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

He nodded again. He stood.

"I'm sorry," he said. "For what it's worth."

I didn't respond. I just watched him walk away.

---

That night, I spread the new evidence across the conference table.

Adrian studied it. Felix studied it. Priya and Marcus studied it.

"This is more than we had," Felix said. "This is everything."

I looked at the documents. The photographs. The letters. Victor had kept everything. Every piece of evidence my mother had gathered. Every document she'd prepared.

"Why did he keep it?" I asked.

Adrian looked at me. "Because he felt guilty. Because he wanted to make it right."

"Too late for that."

"Maybe. But it helps us."

I looked at the evidence. He was right. It helped us.

---

That night, I couldn't sleep.

I lay in bed. I thought about Victor. I thought about my mother. I thought about the evidence.

I got up. I walked to the living room. Adrian was there. He was standing by the window.

"You should be asleep," he said.

"So should you."

He didn't argue. He just stood there. I stood beside him.

"I met Victor Hale today," I said.

"I know. Sloane told me."

"He gave me everything. Everything he had."

Adrian didn't respond. He just waited.

"He said he was sorry. He said he wanted to make it right."

"And do you believe him?"

I considered the question. "I don't know. But I believe the evidence."

He turned. He looked at me. "That's what matters."

I looked at him. He looked at me.

"I'm tired," I said.

"I know."

"I'm tired of running. I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of waiting."

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

"Then let's finish it," he said.

I looked at our hands. I looked at him.

"Okay," I said.

We stood there. The city hummed outside. The clock ticked.

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.