Scarlett stepped into Elestine’s empty study and dialed the police station.
“Apologies, Lady Heroux,” the officer on the phone replied after listening to her request. “As you know, this is an unprecedented day in Soleil, and there are no spare officers to supervise a call.”
Scarlett closed her eyes, trying to dispel her frustration so she could speak calmly. “Of course. Apologies for asking, but can you at least tell him about the arrests? And tell him I’m fine.” Brayden felt so far away. Her thoughts ran in circles when she tried to imagine what he could be thinking or feeling.
“Yes, Lady Heroux,” said the officer before ending the call.
By the afternoon, they’d finished all of Elestine and Scarlett’s planned comms and had prepared remarks for the press conference. Now all that was left to do was wait to hear from the courts on warrants for arrest.
“All right,” said Elestine. “Soleil Times, check.The Observer, check.The Daily Soleil, check.The Financier, check.The Journal, check. We’ve got all the majors covered.” It was the third time she’d confirmed this aloud, but Scarlett didn’t mind. Sleep deprivation meant her brain wasn’t fully functional.
“The warrants have been issued by the court,” called out Lord Garfield. He hurried to the whiteboard and held his phone to one ear as he wrote out a list of names.
Scarlett’s heart thudded. She knew half the names, but not all of them. She stared as he misspelled her stepmother’s name—“Lady Leilani Heroux”—just after “Lady Moira Ashworth.”
The moment she’d been waiting for since Beni woke her from her coma was finally here. Under the exhaustion, Scarlett’s soulwas suddenly lighter, as if the burden of seeking revenge had left her body. She wasn’t triumphant—yet. There was still so much to do. But now she wasn’t alone. Now everyone would know the biggest truths. She was hit with a wave of deep relief—so deep her body relaxed into her chair. It was almost tempting to put her head on the table and sleep where she sat, so soothing was this newfound peace.
“Who is Leonard Orsino?” asked Lord Navarre, who was sitting next to her at the table.
“Third from the top in the bureau, I believe,” said Edward. “That’s his boss, Aaron Fox.”
“Please tell me Bates isn’t on the list,” murmured Lord Navarre. Bates was the head of the bureau. “I don’t want to be responsible for repairing the wreckage at the bureau after this.”
Scarlett was in a dreamlike state as she watched the news in the living room alongside her colleagues while they waited for the arrests to take place. She glanced at a security guard who came in and went straight to Elestine, whispering something in her ear.
A frown creased Elestine’s forehead, and the prime minister’s gaze locked with Scarlett’s. Scarlett’s stomach plummeted.
What now?
Elestine gestured toward the hallway, and Scarlett followed her.
“Laylani’s here,” she said once they were alone.
“What?” Scarlett’s hand flew to her chest. How had she known where to find Scarlett? Or was she here for Beni? Scarlett had expected to see Laylani next in court, weeks from now, nottoday.
“The arrests have started. She knows she’s going down, and she probably came here to… I don’t know, humiliate me? My security team is holding her out back. The police are on their way, but I wanted to offer you the chance to speak to herbefore they arrive. You might not have another opportunity to approach her off the record, and you deserve that—if you want it.”
The demon herself was here. A mess of pain and other uncomfortable emotions Scarlett couldn’t even name passed through her. Had she come to humiliate Elestine? An itch at the back of her mind told her why. But Scarlett didn’t want to even think it.
“She didn’t ask to see me, did she?”
“No. She has no idea you’re here.”
Scarlett considered Elestine’s offer and found she was oddly tempted. Better to confront your demons whenever possible.
“All right. Take me to her.”
“One thing before I do. She’ll likely be spilling secrets to anyone who’ll listen from here on out. If she says anything about me that particularly upsets you, promise you’ll give me the opportunity to discuss it with you.”
“I know better than to take what she says at face value. She’s one of the biggest liars I’ve ever met,” said Scarlett.
“But Elestine isn’t a liar,” said Nori.“Listen to what she’s telling you and prepare yourself.”
“Even liars tell the truth sometimes,” said Elestine, looking away. “We’d better get you out there. You won’t have long.”
Scarlett’s chest was tight as she walked into the back garden. Her proud, elegant stepmother was seated on a bench next to the high wisteria-covered wall that separated the garden from the small canal at the rear of the house. Laylani was already handcuffed, and two guards hovered close by.
The sight of her in cuffs lightened Scarlett’s mood a touch.
