"Good." Elias raises his glass in acknowledgment. "Now walk me through the actual threat assessment. You said Gabriel's brother is building a case. What does that look like tactically?"
"Ezra Pope. Corporate attorney, politically ambitious. He's hired investigators to document Lana's movements, and he's working with Gabriel's estate attorney to challenge the will's validity." I lean forward. "He called her earlier this week requesting a meeting. Framed it as wanting to discuss 'sensitive matters' regarding Gabriel's estate."
"And she agreed to meet?"
"Tomorrow. Lunch at Marconi's, 1 PM. She's bringing her friend Solange as witness, and she has been advised to hire independent legal counsel. She's meeting with an estate attorney in the morning."
Elias sets down his glass. "You're going to be there. At the lunch."
It's not a question. He knows me well enough to predict my response.
"Different table. Close enough to monitor, far enough to avoid escalating tension. She's wearing a recording device—audio documentation of whatever Ezra says."
"And you trust yourself to maintain professional distance while watching her be interrogated by someone who wants to destroy her?"
The question exposes the exact vulnerability I've been avoiding. Can I watch Ezra Pope question Lana about Gabriel's death, imply she's unstable or dangerous, weaponize her trauma—and maintain the detachment necessary to respond tactically instead of emotionally?
"I have to," I say. "She needs someone there who understands the threat."
"She needs someone there who won't compromise her safety because they're too busy being protective." Elias leans forward. "Here's what you're going to do. You're going to watch that lunch as security, not as someone personally invested. You take notes on what Ezra says, how he says it, what threats he makes. You don't intervene unless there's physical danger. You let Lana handle the psychological warfare herself."
"And if she breaks? If he pushes hard enough that she can't maintain composure?"
"Then she breaks, and you document it. Show that his questioning was designed to destabilize her." His expression softens slightly. "You can't protect her from discomfort, Jax. You can only protect her from actual harm. Learning the difference is what separates security from smothering."
The distinction lands harder than I want to admit. Protecting from discomfort versus protecting from harm. Gabriel smothered Lana under the guise of care. I need to prove I'm different, that my surveillance exists to give her agency rather than remove it.
"I understand the difference," I say. "Theoretically."
"Theory is worthless tomorrow. You need practical parameters." Elias stands, walks to his desk, and pulls out a notebook. He writes something, tears out the page, and hands it to me. "These are rules I wish someone had given me with Mara. Read them."
I look at the page. Elias's handwriting is precise, each rule numbered:
Document, don't intervene. Your job is witness, not defender.
Physical danger only. Psychological attacks are not emergencies.
Let her fight her own battles. She's stronger than you think.
If you feel the urge to intervene, text me first. I'll talk you down.
