Elina had always believed that the worst pain came from betrayal. But as she stared at the photo on her laptop screen—her mother smiling beside the very man who had ruined their lives—she realized that pain had levels. And this was the deepest cut of all.
Liam stood silently behind her, his hand resting gently on her shoulder, grounding her.
"She looks so... happy," Elina whispered, her voice hollow.
"She believed in him," Liam said carefully. "Maybe she thought she could change him. Or maybe she was playing a longer game than we imagined."
Elina swallowed hard. "It doesn't make it hurt any less."
She stared at the picture again. Her mother had been young, radiant, almost carefree. But the man next to her, the man who had orchestrated deals behind closed doors, who had manipulated lives like chess pieces—he wore a smile that didn't reach his eyes. That was the father Elina had never truly known.
"I need answers," she muttered, standing abruptly. "I need to confront him. Face to face."
Liam caught her wrist. "That's dangerous."
"I don't care."
"Elina, he's not the kind of man you can reason with. He's dangerous. Ruthless. You could walk in and never walk out again."
She turned to him, her eyes burning. "Then come with me. Protect me. But I need to do this."
Liam hesitated, then gave a single nod. "Okay. We'll do it together. But on my terms."
That evening, at the Randall Estate...
Greyson stood at the bar in his private lounge, pouring himself a drink. The lights were low, the air heavy with the scent of expensive whiskey. Behind him, the fire crackled softly.
He had sensed a shift. Elina had grown bolder. That both intrigued and unsettled him.
She wasn't the naive girl he had married for business convenience anymore.
She was becoming dangerous.
"Sir," his assistant said from the doorway, "she's here."
Greyson's grip tightened on his glass. "Bring her in. Alone."
The assistant hesitated, then stepped aside.
Elina walked into the room with her chin high, her posture strong. But Greyson noticed the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. She was hiding something.
"Elina," he said smoothly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
She didn't return his smile. "I know everything."
A brief silence followed.
Greyson raised an eyebrow, setting his drink down with a faint clink. "Everything is a big word."
"I know what you did to my mother. I know she was part of your deals. I know my father betrayed her—and me. And I know you've been watching me, tracking my steps, trying to keep me in the dark."
Greyson stepped closer, studying her. "And yet you came here."
"I needed to see it in your eyes," she said bitterly. "I needed to confirm that you're as cold and manipulative as I remember."
He laughed—quiet and dry. "You think I'm the villain in your story, Elina. But you forget, you married me. You knew what I was."
"I married a man who lied to me."
"You married a man who saved you," he replied, voice low. "From poverty. From disgrace. From becoming another disposable pawn in your father's sick games."
Elina's eyes narrowed. "You think this is saving? You trapped me in a marriage with the father of my child without even telling me the truth."
A flicker of something—regret? Pain?—crossed Greyson's face, but it vanished as quickly as it came.
"You think I knew?" he snapped. "You think I would've gone through with it if I had?"
Elina froze. "You... didn't know?"
Greyson's lips pressed into a thin line. "You think I would've played it like this if I had known the child was mine?"
Silence. Just the sound of firewood cracking in the fireplace.
Elina took a shaky breath. "Then why did you come after me?"
"Because I wanted control," he admitted. "I wanted revenge on your father. I wanted to ruin everything he touched. But you—" His voice broke, just slightly. "You weren't supposed to matter. But you did."
The confession struck her like a punch to the gut.
She wasn't sure which truth hurt more—that she'd been a pawn, or that he'd accidentally fallen for her in the process.
Outside, in the car...
Liam waited with growing impatience, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel. He hated this. Hated that she was in there, with him. But Elina had insisted, and Liam had promised to trust her.
Still, he had one hand on the gun hidden beneath his jacket. Just in case.
His phone buzzed.
Unknown Number: "Leave now. You're being watched."
Liam sat up straighter. Someone had their eyes on him—and if Elina wasn't safe, he had no choice.
He jumped out of the car.
Inside again...
Greyson stepped closer, his tone quieter now. "You think I'm the devil, Elina. But the real monster... was the man who raised you."
"I know," she whispered. "But that doesn't excuse what you've done."
"No," he admitted. "It doesn't."
Then, unexpectedly, Greyson reached into his pocket and handed her a small flash drive.
"What's this?" she asked, confused.
"Everything you need to bring your father down. The original deals. The ledgers. The names. The silence clauses. He killed your mother to keep them secret. If you want to end this, take it."
Elina stared at the device. "Why would you give me this?"
"Because I'm done fighting ghosts. And because... I want to be free too."
Before she could answer, a loud crash echoed from the hallway.
"Stay here," Greyson ordered, stepping toward the door.
But Elina followed, heart racing. Something was wrong.
The hallway was filled with shouting—men in suits running in every direction. A shadow stepped out of the chaos, raising a gun.
"Elina!"
Liam's voice rang out as he lunged between her and the shooter. A single shot fired.
Blood.
Time slowed.
Greyson tackled the attacker, knocking him out cold, while Elina fell to her knees beside Liam.
"No, no, no... Liam!" she cried.
His eyes were open, but he was pale. The bullet had grazed his side.
"I'm okay," he whispered, gripping her hand. "I'm okay."
Greyson stood above them, chest heaving, eyes dark. "They weren't mine. Someone else wants you dead."