“Security escort.”
“Clear out her desk.”
It’s brutal.
Necessary, of course.
But still brutal.
When he returns, his jaw is tight. “It’s done.”
“I’m sorry,” I say softly. “I know you trusted her.”
“I trusted a lot of people I shouldn’t have.” He looks at me. “But I’m getting better at knowing who deserves it.”
I can’t help but beam at that. “And Xavier?”
“My legal team will be in touch with him shortly,” Corin replies. “Let’s just say, corporate espionage is a crime.”
I nod slowly. “Oh, I well know.”
I certainly don’t envy Noemi and Xavier. What’s coming for them won’t be pretty.
The recording airs on island radio that evening.
Corin and I listen from the terrace at The Westlight, watching the sun sink toward the horizon.
Xavier’s words play back, tinny through the speakers. His admissions. His arrogance. His casual reference to Noemi as his accomplice.
Corin’s phone buzzes. When he reads the message, he exhales slowly.
He shows it to me. It’s from Thorne.
Xavier departed Eleuthera 8:47 PM. Private charter to Miami. Threat level reduced to yellow.
“We did it,” I say.
He takes my hand. “Youdid it. I just gave you the tools.”
“We,” I insist. “The archived files. The transparency room. The accountant emails. You built the infrastructure for all of this. You made it possible.”
He’s quiet for a moment. Then: “We’re a good team.”
I grin widely. “The best.”
He kisses my temple and I lean into him.
Exhibit D: Amara Khan and Corin Saelinger, seven weeks and six days after meeting again for the first time in five years on New Year’s Eve, stand on a terrace in Eleuthera, watching the sunset like a pair of saps.
The court finds in favor of the saps.
In the weeks that follow,things settle into something almost ordinary.
Donors return with cautious apologies. The clinic’s pilot program is extended another six months. I’m named co-director, which feels surreal. Me, the woman who was supposed to be here for six weeks and kept extending because she fell in love with an island and a man and a mission.
Corin launches the transparency measures outlined in his internal memo. We’re talking the full gamut.
External audits.
