Chapter 10 - The Morning After
The penthouse was dead silent once again, save for the distant hum of city traffic miles below.
Lucas had been hauled away in handcuffs, his expensive suit rumpled, his dreams of corporate empire reduced to a federal holding cell just like Chad’s. Eleanor was currently being interrogated by federal investigators at her suburban estate, and my townhouse was officially back in my name, free and clear of fraudulent liens.
I stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass of the penthouse, looking out at the first pale streaks of dawn breaking over the Phoenix horizon. The desert sky was painted in breathtaking shades of violet, gold, and burning orange.
Christopher walked up beside me, leaning heavily on his cane, looking out at the city he had built.
“You didn't have to save the laptop, you know,” my father said quietly, his voice carrying a rare, profound gentleness. “Evelyn already downloaded the entire cloud backup before we walked through those doors.”
“I know,” I replied, taking a slow breath of the cool air filtering through the cracked balcony door. “I just wanted to make sure I was the one who shut him down.”
Christopher let out a low, approving chuckle, shaking his head. “You have my blood, Genevieve. More than I ever realized.”
“No, Dad,” I said, turning to look at him with a calm, unshakeable smile as Toby stirred sleepily against my shoulder. “I have my own. And for the first time in my life, that’s more than enough.”
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, expecting another legal alert or a frantic voicemail from my mother.
Instead, it was a simple text message from an unknown, encrypted number based out of Chicago:
May you like
“The Moretti network is dismantled. The Chicago assets are secure. See you soon, Elena.”
I stared at the screen for a long, silent moment, feeling the final pieces of a puzzle I hadn't even known I was playing finally snap into place.
