Chapter 10 #3
I pull her against me. She goes rigid for half a second, then her arms come up around my waist and she's holding on like I'm the only thing keeping her upright.
"This isn't your fault." The words come out rougher than I intend. "Someone was targeting you long before Julien planted those cameras. They used his obsession. When he became a liability, they eliminated him. None of that is because of choices you made."
"He's still dead."
"Yes. And the person who killed him is still out there. Which is why you need to trust me to keep you safe while we find them."
She pulls back. Looks up at me. Her eyes are red but dry. She's been crying, but she's holding it together now. "Did you find anything at the crime scene?"
"Julien was executed. Professional hit. No signs of struggle." I guide her back to the chair, take the seat across from her. "Clean work. Someone who knew exactly what they were doing."
Her face goes pale. "The same person who funded the surveillance operation."
"That's what we're working to prove." I hold her gaze. "The cyber team's tracing the shell corporation payments. Should have confirmation soon."
"Armand." Not a question. She's known this was coming since we first suspected him.
"We need solid proof before we move. Financial records that tie him directly to the payments." I lean forward. "Once we have that, we can build a prosecutable case. Conspiracy, attempted murder, stalking. Everything."
She's quiet for a long moment. Then: "When we talked to Henry, when I told him about the surveillance—I knew it was Armand. I've known for days. But having proof is different. It makes it real."
"It is real. And he's going to fight back hard when we move against him."
"Let him." Her voice hardens. "I'm done being afraid of what he might do. Done letting him control my choices through fear."
There it is. The strength that's been there all along under the performance. The woman who built an empire, who fought for control, who's been surviving in a male-dominated industry through sheer force of will.
My phone buzzes. Text from Remy.
Got it. Shell corp traced to his Deveraux Oil subsidiary. Solid connection to Armand. But his lawyers are already moving—someone tipped him off. We need to move fast before he buries the evidence.
I show Simone the screen. She reads it, and something in her expression shifts. Not shock—we've known this was coming. But cold fury at seeing the proof, followed immediately by calculation.
"We have him," she says quietly. "Solid evidence. Financial records connecting him to Julien's surveillance operation."
"Yes. But he knows we're onto him. His lawyers are already mobilizing."
"Someone tipped him off." Her voice goes hard. "Someone on the board. Or someone at LaCroix Petroleum with access to what's happening."
"Possible. Or he's been monitoring the investigation, saw us getting close, and activated his legal team preemptively." I lean forward. "Either way, this just became a race. We need to secure the evidence and get Andy moving on arrest warrants before Armand can bury the connection."
"How long do we have?"
"Not long. But Armand's got resources and connections. He'll use every legal tool available to obstruct, delay, destroy evidence." I hold her gaze. "And he'll come after you harder than ever. If he can't bury the evidence, he'll try to destroy your credibility before the board sees it."
"And when the board sees this—when they understand what he did—"
"They'll know exactly what kind of man your uncle is.
That he was willing to fund stalking and surveillance to force you out.
" I move closer. "But you need to understand something.
This investigation is going to get ugly.
Armand will fight back. He'll deny everything, attack your credibility, try to turn the board against you.
And the surveillance footage—if he has copies, he might leak them out of spite. "
"Let him." Her voice is steady. Certain.
"I'm done hiding. Done letting fear of scandal control my choices.
If he leaks the footage, I'll stand in front of my board and dare them to fire me.
But I'm not giving him what he wants. I'm not resigning.
I'm not stepping down. And I'm sure as hell not letting him win. "
"Good girl." I reach across the table, cover her hands with mine. "We've got proof now. Andy's coordinating with NOPD for arrest warrants. Once they move on Armand, the board will have to deal with the fact that he orchestrated this entire operation."
Her eyes meet mine. Something passes between us—recognition of how much deeper this has gone than professional protection. How much I want her safe not just because it's my job.
"Luc." Her voice is quieter now. "Remy said you cared about me—did he mean—"
"Remy had no right to tell you anything..."
"And yet he did. Was he right?"
"Yes." No point in denying it. "This stopped being just a protection detail at Dominion. The moment I felt you let go for real."
"I feel it too." Her voice drops. "But I don't know how. Trusting someone beyond just safety. Letting someone matter outside a scene."
"Neither do I." I step closer. "But we'll figure it out, if there's anything to figure out. First, though, we need to destroy your uncle and keep you alive."
She reaches up, cups my face in her hands. "You walked into a trap for me. Got drugged, restrained, nearly killed. And you're standing here telling me we'll figure this out like it's inevitable."
"It is inevitable." I cover her hands with mine. "You're mine, Simone. Not just for the scene. Not just for the protection detail. Mine. And I don't lose what's mine."
The certainty in my voice seems to settle something in her. She leans forward, presses her forehead against my chest. I wrap my arms around her, hold her as she begins to process everything.
My phone buzzes again. Remy.
Broussard wants to interview Simone officially. Tomorrow afternoon. NOPD building. He's treating this as attempted murder of you + Julien's execution + conspiracy. Needs her statement about the stalking, the surveillance, everything.
I show Simone the screen. She reads it, and I watch her process what this means.
"Official statement," she says quietly. "On the record. Everything about Dominion, the surveillance, the threats." She pauses. "Does Broussard think I'm a suspect?"
"No. You were with Derek when Julien was executed. Timeline clears you completely. This is about building the case against whoever paid Julien and then had him killed."
"Once I give that statement, it becomes part of the investigation record. Discovery in any criminal case. Public record eventually."
"Which means Armand will know exactly what evidence we have against him." I move closer. "But it also means we're building a prosecutable case. Andy's good—he won't let this go."
She's silent for a long moment. Then she straightens, and I watch the CEO mask slide back into place. Shoulders back, spine straight, expression controlled.
"Not till after I meet the board." Her voice is steady. Certain. "I'll tell the board what Armand did first. Then I'll give NOPD everything they need to build their case."
She pulls back, looks up at me. "And after that?"
"After that, you go back to running your company. I go back to running security operations. And we figure out what this is between us without someone trying to kill you."
"You make it sound simple."
"It's not simple. But it's worth figuring out." I tilt her chin up. Force her to hold my gaze. "We figure this out. Not negotiable."
Her breath catches. For a moment I think she's going to cry, but instead she leans up and kisses me. Not tentative. Not questioning. Claiming me the way I've been claiming her.
I deepen the kiss. Let her feel exactly how much I want this.
Want her. Not just the submission, not just the protection detail.
Everything underneath. The woman who's been performing strength for years while terrified someone would see through it.
The CEO who fights battles alone because she doesn't know how to trust anyone else.
When we break apart, we're both breathing hard.
"After the statement tomorrow," I tell her. "After we've given NOPD everything they need. We finish what we started at Dominion."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
She nods. Steps back. The CEO mask is still in place, but there's something softer underneath now. Trust starting to form.
My phone buzzes. Text from Andy.
Need to ask you about something. Call when you can. It's about what Julien said to you before the drug hit.
I stare at the message. Julien's words are fragmented in my memory, broken pieces through the chemical haze. But one phrase surfaces clearly: She'll finally see what real power exchange looks like.
He wasn't just talking about Simone. He was talking about proving something. Demonstrating something to someone else.
Which means someone else was supposed to witness what he planned to do.
I dial Andy.
"What did Julien say to you?" he asks without preamble.
I walk through the fragmented memories. Simone’s office. The syringe. Julien's manic energy as he talked about making Simone understand.
"The drug made most of it hazy," I tell Andy.
"But I remember fragments. He said he'd been watching her for months.
Something about proving she didn't know what real surrender felt like.
And then right before the drug hit hard, he said something like 'show her' and 'she'll finally see.
' Like he was demonstrating for an audience, not just acting on his own obsession. "
"Show her specifically? Or show someone?"
The distinction makes my gut tighten. "The way he was talking... it felt like performance. Like he was following a script, proving something to whoever was watching."
"That tracks with what we found at the scene.
" Andy's voice goes grim. "Simone’s office at LaCroix Petroleum.
We processed it after you were extracted.
There was a camera, Luc. Hidden, still recording.
Professional setup, wireless transmission.
Whoever was watching that feed saw everything that happened to you. "
Ice slides down my spine. "Someone was watching in real-time."
"Someone wanted documentation. Proof that Julien could deliver what he promised. Proof that he could capture and control someone protecting Simone."
Which means Julien's execution wasn't just cleanup. It was someone eliminating a contractor who'd outlived his usefulness. Someone who'd been watching the operation remotely, realized Julien was about to become a liability, and decided to cut losses before he could talk.
"We're tracing the camera's signal," Andy continues. "Should have a location within twenty-four hours. Whoever was on the receiving end might still be monitoring from the same setup."
"Keep me posted." I end the call.
Simone's watching me, reading my expression. "What's wrong?"
"Someone was watching when Julien grabbed me. Hidden camera in your office, live feed to a remote location." I meet her gaze. "Whoever funded this operation saw everything. They know Julien failed. They know we're building a case. And they're still out there."
Her face goes pale. "If they were willing to execute Julien to cover their tracks—"
"They might come after you directly. Eliminate the evidence before we can connect them to the conspiracy." I pull her close. "Which is why you're staying here. Secured. Protected. I don't care how long it takes NOPD to trace that signal—you don't move until we know who's on the other end."
"Yes, Sir."
The automatic submission steadies us both. Gives her structure when everything else is chaos. Gives me certainty that she'll follow commands even when fear makes her want to run.
"Good girl." I kiss her forehead. "We're close. Andy's good at this. He'll find the connection. And when he does, we take down everyone involved."
But standing there in the guest house, holding Simone while she processes that someone was watching my capture in real-time, I still feel we're missing something.
Julien talked about proving something. Demonstrating what real power exchange looks like. Showing her what happens when someone refuses to play along with her performance.
He wasn't just obsessed. He was following a script. Someone else's vision of how to destroy her.
And that someone is still watching.