Evelyne was halfway through her tea when Sebastian arrived.
She didn't greet him. She simply turned a page of her newspaper: "Maria White is dead."
Sebastian pulled out a chair "So I've heard."
"And Alaric was at the crime scene."
A faint smile touched his lips "Then I suppose the police had an entertaining evening."
Evelyne lowered the newspaper for a moment; she simply looked at him.
The way one might look at a disappointing investment.
Sebastian sighed. He isn't worried; just annoyed.
Maria White means nothing to him, or so he thinks.
Her eyes finally lifted from the newspaper.
"That is your response?"
Sebastian shrugged "An old woman died. Alaric appeared. Those two events seem entirely in character."
A short laugh escaped her. Not amused. Disgusted.
"Do you know what I find fascinating about the two of you?"
Sebastian already disliked where this was going.
"You spent your entire life being handed answers."
She folded the newspaper "That bastard spent his life refusing them."
Silence. Evelyne stared out across the estate "He never leaves things alone."
There was genuine irritation in her voice now the kind reserved for a recurring problem.
"A locked door?"
"He opens it."
"A missing record?"
"He finds it."
"A secret?"
"He tears the walls apart looking for it."
Sebastian frowned slightly for the first time; she sounded less annoyed than concerned.
Her fingers tapped once against the table "And somehow Alaric was standing beside the body."
The tapping stopped "I dislike coincidences."
Sebastian studied her "You think they're connected."
"I think," Evelyne said coldly, "that whenever that bastard starts asking questions, unpleasant things happen."
A pause. Then she added, "The problem is not that he finds answers."
Her gaze hardened "The problem is that he never knows when to stop looking."
For a moment neither spoke; then Evelyne picked up her tea.
"If he keeps digging into everything, he'll eventually uncover something."
Sebastian leaned back "And what exactly is that?"
The old woman took a slow sip.
When she lowered the cup, her expression was unreadable "Something which is better buried, or it will ruin many things."
This time, she did not sound annoyed; she sounded certain.
By nine thirty that morning, Shen Yuze was already regretting every life decision that had brought him to Conference Room Three.
The door opened sara Bennett walked in carrying three thick case files and an iced coffee.
Yuze immediately frowned "You brought all of those?"
Sara looked at the files, then at him. "No, I stole them for decoration."
He already had a headache. This was going to be a long day.
The fraud case had landed on their desks two weeks ago.
A wealthy investment executive. Millions of dollars missing. Enough evidence to fill several boxes.
Yuze wanted a clean victory.
Instead, he had been assigned a junior attorney. Unfortunately, the junior attorney kept proving she belonged in the room.
Sara dropped the files onto the table "Good news."
"There has never been a sentence beginning with those words."
"The defence witness changed his statement."
Yuze looked up immediately.
Sara handed him a document.
He read the first page. Then the second. Then sighed, "He's lying."
Sara blinked "You got that from two pages?"
"Page three."
"There isn't a page three."
"Exactly."
Sara stared at him.
Yuze stared back.
Slowly, she sat down "You're irritating."
"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
She ignored him and opened another file.
Twenty minutes later, every surface in the room was covered in notes.
Witness statements. Financial reports. Timelines.
Sara stood beside the whiteboard "According to this witness, the meeting happened Tuesday."
Yuze didn't look up "It didn't."
"It says Tuesday."
"It also says he was in Boston."
Sara checked the file. A pause, Then "Oh."
Yuze continued reading "The meeting happened Wednesday."
Sara hated that he was right almost as much as Yuze hated the fact she'd found the inconsistency first.
The room fell quiet Both worked Neither spoke.
For nearly ten whole minutes. A personal record.
Finally, Sara broke the silence "You know, most senior attorneys are supportive."
Yuze looked up "Most senior attorneys don't want your job."
She threw a pen at him he caught it without looking the fact that he'd expected it only annoyed her more.
Then his phone rang.
Yuze glanced at the screen and answered.
The conversation lasted less than a minute when he hung up, his expression had changed.
Sara noticed immediately "What happened?"
"The prosecutor assigned to the case withdrew."
"What?"
"He accepted another position."
Sara stared the case was scheduled to begin soon losing the prosecutor now was a disaster.
A very large disaster.
Slowly, Yuze leaned back in his chair for the first time all morning, a smile appeared.
It was not a comforting smile.
Sara immediately distrusted it "What are you thinking?"
Yuze looked at the mountain of evidence spread across the room.
Then at the courtroom schedule then at her.
"I'm thinking," he said calmly, "this might be my chance."
And suddenly Sara understood exactly why he'd wanted this case in the first place.
Not for the firm or money For the prosecution seat.
For the first time, she wasn't looking at a defence attorney.
She was looking at a man who had already decided where he wanted to be and was willing to fight his way there.
Victor's threat had been remarkably simple: "If you embarrass this family again, don't expect a single dollar from me."
That was it: no shouting, no lecture, just a reminder.
A reminder that every designer dress in her closet, every luxury car, every privilege attached to the Montclair name came with strings.
Which was why Elara now found herself sitting in a private dining room overlooking Manhattan.
The restaurant was absurdly expensive.
The view was beautiful. The situation was tragic.
Sebastian arrived exactly on time of course he did.
Sebastian sat down and studied her for a moment "Vivienne Westwood?"
Elara looked down at her dress "Are we reviewing fashion now?"
"I'm trying to determine how angry you are."
She blinked.
"What?"
"The black dress suggests murder."
"The fact that I showed up suggests restraint."
A laugh escaped him. Unfortunately, it was contagious.
She also smiled.
A waiter appeared. Menus were distributed. Drinks were ordered.
The moment they were alone again, Sebastian rested his chin on his hand.
Sebastian cut into his steak "You know, when you were sixteen, you had absolutely no dignity."
Elara didn't even look up from her plate "Interesting. I was about to say the same thing about you at twenty eight."
A smile appeared dangerous "You followed me."
"You were rich, handsome, and unavailable."
"You make me sound like a yacht."
"You had the emotional depth of one."
Sebastian laughed actually laughed.
Elara immediately regretted being funny. Encouragement was the last thing he needed.
"I miss that version of you."
"That's because she was stupid."
"She adored me."
"Exactly."
Sebastian placed a hand over his heart "As always, your honesty wounds me."
"You'll survive."
"I am very fragile."
Elara nearly choked "You once fired a man during a hurricane."
"He was late."
"He was trapped in New Jersey."
Sebastian considered that "Still sounds like poor planning."
Elara stared at him "You are genuinely a terrible person."
"I've never claimed otherwise."
That was the annoying thing: Villains were supposed to deny it.
Sebastian treated it like a personality trait.
The waiter appeared, refilled their glasses, then quickly disappeared again.
Probably sensing danger. Wise man.
Sebastian leaned back, watching her not in a romantic way, more like a scientist observing an unexpected mutation "You've become significantly more difficult."
Elara smiled sweetly "And yet somehow your brother manages."
Silence.
Sebastian's eyebrow lifted, only slightly. Score.
Finally, a hit "Ah."
"There he is."
"There, who is?"
"The reason you've been impossible lately."
Elara took a sip of wine, completely unbothered, at least externally "You think everything is about your brother."
"No."
Sebastian smiled "I think most of your recent bad decisions are."
That one almost got her, almost.
She recovered quickly "That's a bold statement from the man engaged to me."
"Touche."
"Thank you."
"Still a bad decision."
Elara laughed.
Sebastian laughed.
The waiter looked concerned as he should have.
For a moment they looked like two people enjoying dinner.
The reality was closer to two lawyers trying to commit murder using only conversation.
Then Sebastian tilted his head "You know what the funniest part is?"
"What?"
"You used to spend entire dinners trying to impress me."
Elara groaned "Oh God."
"Now you spend entire dinners trying to annoy me."
She pointed her fork at him "Growth."
Sebastian raised his glass "Growth."
And despite herself, Elara clinked her glass against his because some disasters deserved recognition.