“We’ve got transfers, ledgers, accounts,” Aidan says, voice low and controlled. “There’s a shell company—Orchis. It’s the common thread running through all of it. The domain tied to Jen and Benedict’s emails. Where at least ninety per cent of Angus’ cut was funnelled. And I’d stake my life on it being where Benedict transferred the money he never passed on to Jen before Helen killed him.”
He pauses, letting that settle.
“Now Matt’s uncovered something that links Nico Salvatore to Orchis. Antonio’s son and second-in-command. Girls get recruited to model for him, and then they disappear. At the same time, we’ve got ghost shipments coming in from Italy—unlogged, unseen, wiped from the books.”
His gaze sharpens.
“If we expose Nico, or trace where Benedict’s money really went, we don’t just clear Lily’s name. We dismantle the ring and prove she was never involved at all.”
Liam, never one to waste or mince words, nods slowly. “Logically, if Lily was on the take, Benedict would have sent her part of his shares. But any physical documentation is going to be heavily guarded. The digital copies Matt got his hands on are a start, but we need more.”
I swallow, letting my eyes sweep over the room, landing on Lily again. She doesn’t look at me, not directly, but the faint twitch of her fingers betrays her. She’s listening.She’s still here.And that is enough to ignite something in me, something sharp, dangerous, and desperate. I need to keep her safe. I need to clear her name. And beneath it all, I need her to know that nothing else matters if I can’t fix this for her.
“I’ve been using this stupid contract to get closer to Antonio,” I explain. “Going to dinners, making small talk when tongues are loosened by liquor, that kind of thing.”
Cora’s disapproving gaze pins me as she crosses her arms across her chest and shakes her head in disbelief. “You’ve made yourself a mole.”
Lily watches me—careful, dangerous, the woman who just let me worship at her feet, and the girl who still wants to lash out at me wrapped into one. I swear to myself that nothing in the world will lay a hand on her and walk away thinking they’ve won.
“You don’t have to do this,” she says.
“I can’t let this keep you isolated any longer. If I have to get a little bloody to clear your name, then baby, just call me Jack the Ripper.”
Liam’s mouth twists. “Jonathan won’t like the girls knowing all of this.”
“My dad knows?” Cora’s shocked inhale says it all.
I meet her gaze and give a small, apologetic shrug, watching the realisation dawn that he’s kept her in the dark while she’s likely been needling him every single day to bring Lily home.
“He does,” I say quietly.
Then, because it matters—because it changes everything—I add, “He called off the wedding when I told him.”
The silence that follows is sharp.
Cora’s hand flies to her mouth, a stunned breath tearing out of her as she stares at me like she’s trying to reconcile a dozen impossible things at once.
Abbie lets out a soft, disbelieving gasp. “Holy shit,” she breathes, eyes wide.
Liam exhales slowly through his nose, something grim and satisfied flickering across his face. “That’s… not nothing,” he mutters.
Aidan’s reaction is quieter—his jaw tightens, eyes cutting to me with a look that saysthis just escalated everything.
“Fuck it. We’re getting you home, Lily. No matter what it takes. We’re going to clear your name, prove the truth about Jen and that monster Benedict—” Cora cuts herself off, disgust clouding her features at the name.
Abbie growls. “I still can’t believe he’s your—” She breaks off, pressing her forehead to Lily’s. “It doesn’t matter. Blood doesn’t mean shit. You are not him.”
“And you’re not her. You’re Lily fucking Davis, and you’re ours,” Cora adds, striding across the room in three sharp steps before wrapping Lily in a fierce hug. Abbie is quick to join, pressing close with a quiet mummer of reassurance. I look away, pretending I can’t hear the quiet affirmations and sniffles of the girls, and pour three measures of vodka from the bar cart. Liam and Aidan join me, downing their drinks in unison before turning their focus back to the girls.
Seeing the three of them leaning on each other for strength twists like a knife in my gut. That they’ve been torn apart by forces beyond their control—and in part because of me—sends shame creeping up my neck, sharp and unrelenting.
I set my glass down, the clink of vodka against crystal sounding far too loud in the quiet aftermath of the girls’ reassurances. Lily’s gaze lingers on me for a brief second longer before she looks away, smoothing her dress, reminding me that for now, she’s choosing caution over fire.
“I need to head back,” I say, voice low and steady. “Salvatore thinks I was called away on Points business, so it won’t be asurprise if I have to make a few more trips. I’ll keep digging, get close to the right people, follow the money trail without them knowing I’m onto them.”
“I’ll fill Logan in, make sure he knows exactly what we’re dealing with. My Viking is itching to spill some more blood.” Abbie smirks, looking far too excited about the prospect of bloodshed for a girl who spends her days baking and surrounded by animals.
Cora paces a little, then stops, her hands clenching into fists. “And Aidan, Liam, and I will get Owen up to speed. If the older generation won’t take action, we will. Enough watching and waiting for someone to get hurt before we step in.”
