The mansion was suddenly alive with chaos.
Guards moved swiftly, securing the perimeter. Greyson barked orders to his team while Elina stayed crouched beside Liam, who was pressing a bloodied cloth to his side.
"I told you this was dangerous," Liam murmured, forcing a strained smile through clenched teeth.
"You knew and still came with me," Elina replied, her voice shaking.
"I'd follow you into fire, Elina. You should know that by now."
Before she could respond, Greyson knelt beside them. He held out a phone. "I've called my private medic. He'll be here in less than five minutes. He's better than most ERs."
Liam narrowed his eyes. "Why are you helping me now?"
Greyson looked him dead in the eye. "Because I didn't shoot you."
"That doesn't make you a saint," Liam snapped.
"I'm not trying to be," Greyson muttered. "But whether you like it or not, we're all in this mess together now."
Elina stood up slowly, the flash drive still in her pocket. "Who else would want me dead?"
Greyson's jaw clenched. "That's the million-dollar question."
He paused, then glanced toward his study.
"There's something you both need to see."
Back inside Greyson's private office...
The room was dimly lit, lined with towering bookshelves and sealed files.
Greyson placed a secure tablet on the desk and unlocked it with his thumbprint. A series of files opened. Dozens of names. Contracts. Confidential records.
"Your father had partners," Greyson began. "Some of them just as dangerous as he was. When I started collecting evidence against him, they got nervous. If this flash drive leaks—"
"They all go down with him," Elina finished.
He nodded. "Including me."
She studied his face. "Then why give it to me?"
"Because I don't want to live like this anymore."
Liam, leaning on the wall for support, raised an eyebrow. "What does this mean for you?"
"Power built on blood," Greyson answered. "A marriage built on lies. I wanted to destroy Elina's father, but in the process, I became him."
For the first time, Elina saw it—guilt.
"You're the father of my child," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And we both found out too late."
Greyson looked away. "I wish I had known sooner."
Liam stepped forward despite his wound. "So what now? You hand her the key to your empire and disappear?"
"No," Greyson said firmly. "I'm going to clean up the mess I made. Starting with the man who ordered that hit."
He turned to Elina. "But I need your help."
She blinked. "You want me to help you?"
"You're the only one he won't suspect."
Two days later...
Elina stood in a sleek black dress, hair pinned back, a small earpiece hidden under her curls. Her heart pounded beneath her ribcage as she entered the opulent gala hosted by none other than Charles Maddox—her father's longest-standing partner.
Greyson's voice crackled softly in her ear. "Remember, smile. Blend in. Find the red briefcase. It holds the original blackmail contracts your father used."
The ballroom was breathtaking—crystal chandeliers, live classical music, and masks that gave the event a sense of eerie anonymity.
"Elina Randall," a smooth voice said behind her.
She turned to face a tall man in a dark tuxedo and silver mask. Charles Maddox.
"I must say, I didn't expect to see you here. Rumor has it you've been quite... rebellious lately."
She forced a smile. "Just curious, that's all. My father always spoke highly of you."
Maddox chuckled. "I'm flattered. He and I built empires together."
"Empires built on secrets."
His eyes narrowed, but his smile remained. "You're sharper than I remember."
Elina leaned in. "And you're more cautious than you pretend to be."
Meanwhile, outside in the surveillance van...
Liam adjusted his headset, sweat trickling down his temple. "She's dancing on a knife's edge."
"She can handle it," Greyson replied from beside him, but his fists were clenched.
Liam gave him a side glance. "Do you love her?"
The question hung in the air.
Greyson didn't answer immediately. "I thought I could control everything. That love was weakness. But Elina—she turned everything upside down."
Liam nodded. "Then protect her. Even if she doesn't choose you."
Inside again...
Elina slipped away from the crowd and made her way to the VIP corridor. Behind the second door on the left—according to Greyson's intel—was Charles Maddox's private office.
She picked the lock with trembling hands and stepped inside.
The red briefcase was there.
Locked.
Greyson's voice came through again. "Combination is 3-7-9. Hurry."
She opened it—and froze.
Inside weren't just contracts.
There were photos. Of her. Of her mother. Of Greyson. Meetings. Surveillance.
Her father had known all along.
She didn't even hear Maddox enter.
"You shouldn't have come here," he said coldly.
She turned slowly, briefcase in hand.
"And you should've stayed in the shadows," she shot back.
He drew a weapon.
But before he could fire—bang!
Greyson appeared at the door, gun raised, Maddox on the floor.
Silence.
Back at the mansion...
Greyson set the briefcase on the table and opened it again.
Liam sat nearby, bandaged but watching closely.
"These documents," Greyson said, "will bring them all down."
Elina ran her hand over the photos. "My whole life was a lie."
"No," Greyson said softly. "But now, you can build something true."
She looked between him and Liam.
The man who fathered her child.
The man who had protected her like no one else.
And she realized—love wasn't just about blood or promises. It was about truth. And now, she finally had the power to choose.