Maybe she had not held the gun.
But she had opened the door.
Roman became something terrifying after that.
For two days, you barely saw him. Men came and went. Phones rang at all hours. News outlets reported arrests, resignations, raids, sealed indictments. The Heartwell estate was searched by federal agents before sunrise.
Preston disappeared.
Vanessa tried to flee to Miami.
She never made it past Teterboro Airport.
Roman did not kill them.
That surprised everyone except you.
Instead, he let them live long enough to lose everything in public.
Preston was arrested on attempted murder, conspiracy, witness tampering, fraud, and obstruction. Vanessa was charged as an accessory and indicted for filing a false police report. Their families’ companies collapsed under investigations that had waited years for the right match to strike.
At the courthouse, cameras caught Vanessa being led inside in a plain navy blazer, no diamonds, no ivory silk.
She looked smaller without power.
You watched from Roman’s townhouse, Liam beside you on the couch and Elena across from you with tea in her hand.
Liam lowered the volume. “Do you feel better?”
You thought about it.
“No,” you said. “But I feel free.”
