The suggestion is logical. If Jax's respect for boundaries is genuine, he'll accept refusal without pushback. If it's performance, he'll find ways to pressure or guilt me into compliance.
But I don't want to test him. I want to know what Lucien found.
I text back:I'm at Solange's. Can you text the information instead of calling?
His response comes within thirty seconds:Yes. Give me a few minutes to type it out.
I show Solange his reply. She nods approval. "He accepted the boundary without questioning it. That's a good sign."
Three minutes later, my phone buzzes with a longer message:
Lucien's investigators found something. Ezra is planning to run for state assembly next year—hasn't announced publicly yet. His campaign finances show donations from entities connected to The Glasshouse. Same criminal network Gabriel was involved with.
Another message follows:
This explains the pressure tactics. Ezra is BLUFFING about formal proceedings. He knows if this goes to court, discovery exposes his own finances. He can't afford that kind of scrutiny before a political campaign. The threats, the one-week deadline—it's all designed to make you settle before he'd actually have to file anything.
Then a third:
He's betting you'll cave to avoid the trauma of public proceedings. But now we know he's more desperate to avoid court than you are. His threats are empty. That's our leverage.
I read the messages twice, then hand my phone to Solange. She reads it, whistles under her breath.
"So Ezra isn't just a grieving brother seeking justice. He's also a politician that will be trying to prevent exposure." She hands back my phone. "That changes everything."
"How?"
"Because now you have leverage. If he proceeds with estate challenges, discovery goes both ways. Mira can subpoena his financial records, examine his connections to The Glasshouse, expose everything he's trying to hide." She leans back in her chair, and I can see the strategist in her emerging. "He can't afford that kind of scrutiny right before announcing a political campaign."
My phone buzzes again. Another text from Jax:Lucien thinks you should use this information strategically. Let Ezra know you're aware of his connections. Make him understand that proceeding with estate challenges will expose things that destroy his political ambitions. Essentially—threaten him back.
Solange is reading over my shoulder now. "Lucien's right. This is leverage. But Lana, using it means playing the same game Ezra's playing. Are you comfortable with that?"
Am I comfortable threatening Ezra the way he threatened me? Using his secrets as weapons the way he's weaponizing my trauma?
The answer should be no. Should involve taking the high road, maintaining moral superiority, refusing to descend to his level.
But Gabriel taught me that moral superiority doesn't actually protect you. Being right doesn't matter if you're too destroyed to fight back.
"Yes," I say. "I'm comfortable with it. Ezra chose warfare. I'm just matching his tactics."
I text Jax back:How do I use this? Just tell him I know?
His response:Mira should handle it. Send her the information, let her communicate to Malcolm's firm that discovery will be mutually uncomfortable. That's usually enough to make people reconsider formal proceedings.
"Smart," Solange says, still reading over my shoulder. "Your attorney makes the threat. You maintain deniability. Professional instead of personal."
I forward the information to Mira with a note:Lucien's investigators found this. Can we use it to make Ezra reconsider?
Her response comes quickly despite the evening hour:Absolutely. This is exactly what we needed. I'll draft a communication to Malcolm's firm first thing tomorrow. We're going to make Ezra very uncomfortable.
The relief is immediate and intoxicating. For the first time since Ezra called requesting lunch, I feel like I'm not just defending against attacks. I'm capable of attacking back.
My phone buzzes one more time. Jax again:How are you doing? Actually doing, not “performance” doing.
The question catches me off guard. He's asking for honesty instead of accepting whatever performance I'd offer.
I type:Terrified of Ezra. Confused about us. Grateful you're asking instead of assuming.
