"This evidence will destroy them in court." Marcus watched me, concern in his eyes. "But Paul, are you sure? Once this goespublic, the Vincent Family's reputation will crater. The board will see you as a traitor. They'll strip your inheritance."
I looked out at the graying dawn. Saw Casey's smile in my mind. Tommy clutching my sleeve in his sleep.
"Marcus, I've had wealth and power at the highest level. Those six years, I was a walking corpse." I closed the file, my gaze steady. "If I can't protect my own wife and child, what's the point of having any of it?"
Marcus sighed but smiled with approval. "Alright. If you're willing to give up everything for the truth, then I'm with you all the way."
When I got back to Casey's little rental, it was six in the morning.
I thought she'd still be asleep. But the moment I opened the door, my heart plummeted.
Every light in the place was on. Casey stood against the living room wall in a thin nightgown, clutching her phone. She looked drained, sliding slowly down the wall to sit on the floor. When she heard the door, she looked up. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes shattered and desperate.
"Casey..." I rushed toward her. A phone flew at my feet.
The screen spiderwebbed on impact, but the photo was still clear as day.
In that dim presidential suite, Diana had her head tilted back, hands wrapped around my collar. From that godforsaken angle, it looked like we were one second away from a kiss.
The instant I saw it, I understood. Every seduction, every suggestive word from Diana—it was all to get this one photo. One photo that could obliterate Casey's trust completely.
"Get out!" Casey screamed, her voice shaking with rage. She jumped to her feet, got in my face, eyes bloodshot.
"Casey, let me explain, that was Diana—"
Crack.
The slap echoed through the empty room. My face snapped to the side, burning hot, but I didn't even blink. Just kept staring at her.
"Explain?" Casey's voice cracked. She grabbed my collar. "Paul Vincent, do you get off on playing me? Watching me wait here like an idiot? Watching me fight the whole damn world for your empty promises—does that make you feel powerful?"
"You said you'd give up the family. You said you only wanted us. And then what? You went straight to her suite!"
She shoved me hard, pointed at the door, tears streaming. "Take your dirty deals and go back to Boston. Get out of my life! Tommy doesn't need a father who's full of lies, and I don't need some con artist pretending to love me!"
Watching her come apart nearly killed me. My heart felt crushed in a vise. I knew Diana's goal wasn't to destroy my reputation—it was to destroy the fragile trust Casey and I had just started building.
I stepped forward fast, ignoring her struggles and kicks, and pinned her to the couch. Gripped her shoulders, forced her to look into my bloodshot eyes.
"Casey! Look at me!" My voice came out raw. "You think I went there to fool around? You think I abandoned you and Tommy to rekindle something with that psycho?"
"What else? The photo's right there! You going to deny you saw her?"
I didn't let go. I pulled out my phone, played the recording I'd started before entering that suite.
"Diana, this is my last warning. If you hurt Casey and Tommy again, I'll make sure the Rossi family has no place left in business."
"I'm going to tell Casey the truth about six years ago—that nothing happened between us. That lounge story was completely fabricated by you."
The recording ended. The room went silent.
Casey froze mid-shove, staring at my phone's faint glow. Tears still wet on her cheeks, chest heaving.
"You really... you're really giving up Vincent Group? For us?" Her voice shook.
I released her shoulders, knelt down to meet her eye level, took the hand that had slapped me, and pressed it against my cheek.
"Not planning to. Already did." I pulled out the thick file Marcus had prepared and set it on her lap. "Casey, this time we're going on the offensive. I've filed suit with the international arbitration court. I'm settling custody and residency once and for all. I'm taking the witness stand to expose every crime Elizabeth and Diana committed. I'm going to make the whole world know who's really at fault."
