Her Ex Brought His Mistress to Humiliate Her — Then the Mafia Boss Kissed Her and Revealed He Had Been Watching Her Rise for Years.

PART 7

Sable remained near the window, wiping tears from her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she told Priya. “Not because he got caught. I’m sorry for what I did to you.”

Priya closed her briefcase. “I believe you.”

“I don’t expect forgiveness.”

“That’s good, because forgiveness is not a shortcut around accountability.”

Sable nodded. Priya continued more gently. “But one terrible choice does not have to become your whole life. Cooperate with the investigation. Tell the truth. Then build something that doesn’t depend on being chosen by a man like Marcus.”

Sable looked toward Silas. “Is that what you did?”

Priya glanced at him. “No. I chose myself first.”

—

Outside the courthouse, reporters crowded the steps. News of Marcus’s arrest had already spread. Cameras flashed as Priya and Silas emerged side by side. Questions flew toward them.

“Ms. Osei, was your relationship with Mr. Vane part of the investigation?”

“Mr. Vane, did you use organized-crime connections to destroy Hayes Equity?”

“Are the two of you engaged?”

Silas looked ready to keep walking, but Priya stopped at the microphones.

“The evidence against Mr. Hayes was obtained lawfully and provided to federal investigators,” she said. “The East Harbor properties will be transferred through a court-supervised process. No private threats or violence were involved.”

A reporter shouted, “Did Silas Vane save you from Marcus Hayes?”

Priya smiled slightly. “No.” The cameras flashed faster. “I was never waiting to be saved. Mr. Vane recognized my ability at a moment when others were focused on my humiliation. He opened a door. I decided whether to walk through it.”

She stepped away from the microphones. Silas followed her into the waiting sedan. Once the doors closed, he looked at her.

“I opened a door?”

“It sounded more professional than saying you kissed me in front of three hundred people to frighten my ex.”

“It worked.”

“It was arrogant.”

“You agreed.”

“For ten seconds.”

“Nine.”

She laughed and leaned back against the seat. Silas’s expression softened.

“Where do we go now?”

“Back to work.”

“You just destroyed a man before lunch.”

“The court destroyed him. I completed the paperwork.”

“Terrifying.”

Priya turned toward him. “You like terrifying.”

“I am beginning to.”