Chapter Ten: The Weight of Truth
Elise's POV
Mateo hovered uncertainly by the door, his hands wringing the edge of his sweatshirt. He looked between us and the frail figure lying on the cot, like he wasn't sure how to start.
Finally, he swallowed hard and said, "Grandpa... they're here."
Ramon Cruz turned his head slowly, his watery gaze landing on us. The moment he saw Adrian—and then me—his whole body shuddered.
Tears welled up in his eyes, spilling freely down his gaunt cheeks. "I never thought... I'd see you again," he whispered, voice cracking under the weight of grief.
Mateo stepped closer to him, voice soft but firm. "Grandpa, this is Adrian Laurent. And Elise Ford."
At o
Chapter 23: Lines in the SandElise's POVThe sun was still low in the sky as Isla and I settled into the familiar corner booth of the café. The same place we'd met when she first arrived. The warm scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked pastries filled the air, but it didn't quite reach me today. My mind was elsewhere, replaying everything that had happened yesterday.I took a long sip of my coffee, my fingers tapping against the porcelain cup. Yesterday felt like a lifetime ago. I'd told Rigo my story—the truth about the Laurents and how they orchestrated my parents' deaths. The words came easier than I expected. I had planned on keeping everything locked inside, but something about the way Rigo listened made me feel like maybe he could help.Rigo had committed to passing the information on to Luke when he returned, but he also told us to keep our distance for now, advised us to lay low. He'd said we should meet again the same time today at a p
Chapter 22: The Price of TruthElise's POVThe next day, the Insider's Echo office felt like a ghost of itself. The same flickering fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, but the chaos from yesterday—the shuffling papers, the sharp voices, the crash in the hallway—was gone. Everything had gone still, like the building was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. Or maybe for something to break.Isla and I stepped in without a word. The front desk was empty. No interns, no reporters pacing with coffee-stained notepads. Just silence, thick and humming like static.We found Rigo at his desk, the clutter around him untouched from yesterday. He wasn't smoking this time. No sarcastic grin, no lazy posturing. Just slumped shoulders and a tired gaze aimed somewhere past the cracked blinds. If yesterday he looked like someone playing a part, today he looked like a man who had nothing left to hide.He didn't look up as we entered.
Chapter 21: A Seat at the TableElise's POVI stepped forward. "We need to talk," I said. "It's about the Laurents."Rigo's eyes widened briefly, flicking between me and Isla, then landing on Luke, who was already halfway up the stairs. "Oh," he said, his voice trailing off as if something had just clicked. He rubbed the back of his neck, unease written in his posture, but he didn't make a move. "I see."Before I could speak, Luke's voice broke the silence, low and unwavering. "I've got nothing to do with the Laurents anymore." His words landed between us like a door slamming shut. Without waiting for any response, he turned and ascended the stairs, his movements deliberate and final. His figure disappeared into the shadows of the upper floor.Isla stepped forward, her
Chapter 20: The Insider's EchoElise's POV"We're looking for a journalist. Luke Navarro. Ever heard of him?" Isla didn't waste any time. Lia's expression barely changed, but I could tell the question had hit a nerve. She tilted her head slightly, as if weighing the name in her mind. "Luke Navarro?" she said slowly. "Can't say I have, but..." She trailed off, thinking. "Why are you asking about a journalist? You two working on something big?"Isla didn't hesitate. "Well, actually, I'm planning on going back to school. Fashion, but on the ops and legal side. Might even do my dissertation on how the media handles brand issues."I saw Lia's eyebrow raise, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. "You, Isla, studying?" There was amusement in her voice, but it didn't quite
Chapter 19: Loose ThreadsElise's POVIsla was practically buzzing with energy across from me, her bright yellow scarf a stark contrast to the overcast sky. She leaned forward, her chin resting in her palm, eyes glinting with curiosity. "So..." she started, voice low, but the excitement crackling underneath. "What does Adrian think about all this?"I glanced up at her, momentarily lost in the thought of Adrian. The weight of everything, his involvement, the plan—it felt like a tight knot in my chest. "He's helping," I said finally, keeping my voice steady. "He went back to the Laurents. Playing the broken son, trying to worm his way back in."Isla's eyebrows shot up, and she sat back, her chair creaking under her sudden shift. "Wait, what? He's actually going back there? That's... insane."
Chapter 18: Tangled TruthsElise's POVThe café smelled like fresh espresso and rain-soaked pavement, an afternoon that felt like a memory even as it was happening. I spotted Isla in the corner, her hair pulled back into a sleek bun, a bright yellow scarf wrapped around her neck like a burst of sunshine. As soon as she saw me, her eyes lit up, and she waved furiously."Elise!" she cried, jumping halfway out of her seat and pulling me into a tight hug. "God, I missed you. How are you? Really?"I chuckled softly, wrapping my arms around her. "I'm fine, Isla. You don't have to look at me like I'm about to break."She pulled away, holding me at arm's length, her eyes scanning my face with that familiar, intense scrutiny. "I do. I feel so guilty, Elise. I should've checked
Chapter 17: Old Wounds, New ResolveElise's POVThe clink of forks scraping plates filled the penthouse dining room.Adrian sat at the head of the table, cutting his steak with short, deliberate strokes. Mateo hovered at the side, stabbing aggressively at a pile of mashed potatoes like they owed him money.I picked at my food, appetite absent."So," Adrian said, not looking up, "how'd the wild goose chase go?"I sighed. "Is it so obvious that I failed?""Your face screams 'failure.'" He jabbed a piece of meat into his mouth. "Even Mateo could figure it out.""Hey!" Mateo yelped, almost dropping his fork. "I'm not that slo
Chapter 16: Digging in the DirtAdrian's POVI logged into the Laurent Holdings internal archive—the one buried under layers of encryption the public-facing team liked to pretend didn't exist.Officially, it didn't.Unofficially?It was where the bodies were buried.Private financial statements, board meeting minutes, restricted audits—the kind of stuff you don't attach to your glossy "we care about your skin and the planet" campaigns.Exactly what I needed.The moment I got access, the first thing that hit me was how bloated the files were. Hundreds of folders, each one dre
Chapter 15: The Call That Shifted the MoodAdrian’s POVI leaned back in my chair, staring at the mess that was my desk. God, I hated this office. Every inch of it reeked of fake respectability. I was still fuming from the conversation with Damon, and it took everything in me not to throw something against the wall. But as I stared at the papers, trying to ground myself in something solid, my phone buzzed.Elise.I didn't even hesitate. I answered, my mood shifting before I even spoke. "Hey." The irritation from earlier already melting away at the sound of her voice."Hi, Adrian. The penthouse looks great, all cleaned up and ready for when you get back," she said, all easy-going and light, like she hadn't just ta