“That won’t happen.”I shake my head, arms crossing over my chest.“He wouldn’t dare report it.He’ll avoid the cops at all costs.”
She blinks, eyes narrowing.“How can you be so sure?”
“Because he’s being investigated for money laundering.”
My voice is calm, almost too calm—and that silence hangs heavy between us.Fenella stares at me, speechless.Then a car horn blares outside, snapping her back.
Her voice falters.“What do you mean, money laundering?”
“You know what it means.He’s suspected of being involved in serious criminal activity.That’s why Golden’s targeting him through that DUI case.”
Fenella goes quiet, taking it in.“So, it’s not some personal revenge against your father?”she asks, disbelief flickering in her eyes.I shake my head.
“He’s just being professional, taking every opening he gets.In fact, he came down from the feds’ office to work with the state DA once he heard about the case.That’s why Alan lost it during the arraignment, remember?I’m sure he didn’t expect a federal prosecutor to take an interest in that petty case.”
“I still don’t get it.You mean Mr.Golden actually wanted to go after money laundering, not the DUI?”she asks, tilting her head, her voice tight.
“Exactly.If the DUI case had gone deeper, they could’ve legally looked into Alan’s entire business operation,” I say evenly.“Unfortunately, the judge didn’t care, or didn’t want to deal with it.So, she let him pay a fine instead of doing time.The best they got out of that was forcing him into monthly court-ordered therapy.That’s one way they keep tabs on him.”
Her lips part.She covers her mouth with both hands, her face going pale.She rubs her temples.“This is insane,” she murmurs.“My head feels like it’s going to explode.”
“Why do you look so upset?Don’t tell me you still care about him,” I say, frowning.
“It’s not that,” she groans.“He came here earlier.”
“Yeah, your mom told me.What did he say?”
Fenella licks her upper lip, pauses, and then tells me everything—Clark Thomson before he became Alan Schmidt, the name change, the past he buried.I listen, connect dots in my head.Peter Morgan’s investment flowing into Alan’s company?That seals it.My suspicions hit the mark.
Forget the idea that Alan did all this just to get her attention.The man has always been playing a bigger game.From the start, he wants control, not affection.
“So this confirms Peter’s involvement in Alan’s operation,” I say slowly.“The money flowing from Peter’s accounts is what the feds are tracking.”
“Is it really that bad?”she asks, biting her lower lip.
“It’s worse.Senatorial corruption, illegal transfers, ties to international crime groups—everything’s connected to Peter Morgan, and Alan’s the money machine,” I tell her, my voice low.
“Wait.Are you serious?Isn’t that too extreme for a normal businessman?”she asks, brows furrowing.
I press my lips together.She’s never seen how deep this world runs: how clean people look on paper and how dirty their money really is.I’ve seen enough to know.That’s why I walked away from law, too many compromises, too much darkness.It’s not what I wanted for my life.
“Fenella, I know this is hard to take in, but people like that exist.Remember the guy who saved you and put you in at Gene?He was in the same world.”
She shivers and hugs herself.“Yeah.I guess he was involved in something, but he never told me the details.”
“They all have one thing in common, money.That’s what this is about.Now you see why I need you to stay away from Alan.This isn’t about jealousy anymore.”
I cup her face gently.She looks up at me, eyes soft but alert, and nods slowly.
“And I want him out of our lives for good.I don’t want us living with this fear anymore.He and Amy have been pulling the strings from the start—lying, trapping, manipulating.Now he’s after you again, isn’t he?”
Her voice trembles.“You don’t mean… kill him, do you?”
“No.”I shake my head.“We’ll put them away.For good.Let’s end this the right way.”
Fenella’s face goes even paler.She finally gets how dangerous this is.We’re about to take on those mobsters.
“Can we?”
