Lucas was waiting when I got back to his apartment, Chinese takeout containers spread across his kitchen counter.
"Eat," he ordered, handing me chopsticks. "You need energy for tonight."
"I'm not hungry."
"Eat anyway." He pushed a container of lo mein toward me. "When's the last time you had a real meal?"
I couldn't remember. "Yesterday morning?"
"Exactly. Eat."
I ate, and realized he was right. I was starving.
"So how did it go with Damien?" Lucas asked, pulling up his laptop while I ate.
"He knows everything now. About Sienna, Victoria, James Chen, all of it."
"And?"
"And he says he loves me."
Lucas went very still. "He said what?"
"He said he's loved me since our second anniversary. That he made a mistake throwing me away. That he wants to protect me." I stabbed at my noodles. "It's bullshit."
"Is it?"
I looked up at Lucas. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I watched him during your marriage, Aria. The few times I saw you two together at tech conferences. The way he looked at you when he thought no one was watching." Lucas met my eyes. "I think he's telling the truth. I think he did love you. He was just too scared to admit it."
"That doesn't make it better."
"No. But it makes him human." Lucas took a bite of his own food. "The question is, what are you going to do about it?"
"Nothing. Right now, I focus on stopping Sienna. Everything else can wait."
"Fair enough." Lucas pulled up a map on his laptop. "Okay, let's talk strategy for tonight. Pier 7. Isolated location, multiple approach vectors, limited visibility. It's a perfect spot for an ambush."
"Which is why you're going to position yourself with a clear sight line. If anything goes wrong—"
"I come in with guns blazing. Figuratively speaking."
"Or literally, if necessary." I looked at the gun case on his counter. "You're bringing that, right?"
"Already loaded and ready." Lucas's expression was serious. "Aria, are you sure about this? We could just not go. We could take what we have to the FBI right now and let them handle it."
"And give Sienna time to cover her tracks? To destroy evidence? To disappear?" I shook my head. "No. We need to know what her final move is. And this meeting is our best chance."
"Even if it's a trap?"
"Especially if it's a trap." I met his eyes. "Because if they're trying to trap me, it means I'm close to something they don't want me to find. And I want to know what that is."
Lucas studied me for a long moment. "You've really changed, you know that?"
"I had to. The old Aria would have been too scared to fight back. Too worried about making waves. Too desperate to be loved to risk making enemies." I set down my chopsticks. "But that Aria died in the elevator four days ago. I'm what's left."
"I like what's left." Lucas smiled. "You're finally the woman I always knew you could be."
My phone buzzed. A new email from the mysterious sender.
*Midnight. Come alone. And Ms. Sterling? Bring the evidence you've gathered. All of it. You're going to need it. - A Friend*
I showed Lucas.
"That's ominous," he said.
"Or helpful. I can't tell anymore." I checked the time. 9:47 PM. "We have two hours. What else do we need to prepare?"
"I need to scout the pier, find the best position for surveillance. You need to compile all our evidence onto a secure drive in case they're not lying about needing it." Lucas pulled out his equipment. "And we both need to accept that this might go very badly."
"I know." I grabbed my laptop. "But I'm done playing it safe. Safe got me nowhere for three years."
"Reckless might get you killed."
"Then I'll die doing something that matters." I met his eyes. "I'm tired of being afraid, Lucas. I'm tired of letting other people control my life. Tonight, I take control. Whatever the cost."
Lucas looked like he wanted to argue, but finally nodded. "Okay. But promise me something."
"What?"
"If it goes bad—if they try to hurt you or trap you or anything—you run. You don't try to be a hero. You just run, and you let me handle it."
"Lucas—"
"Promise me, Aria. Because I can't lose you again. I walked away three years ago when you chose Damien. I respected your choice. But if something happens to you tonight, I'll never forgive myself for letting you go alone."
The rawness in his voice made my chest tight. "I promise. If it goes bad, I run."
"Good." He stood up. "Now let's prepare to crash a midnight meeting and hopefully not die in the process."
***
At 11:30 PM, we drove to Pier 7.
The waterfront was dark and empty, the sound of water lapping against the dock the only noise. Streetlights created pools of yellow light every fifty feet, but most of the pier was shrouded in shadow.
Perfect place for an ambush. Or a revelation. Hard to tell which.
Lucas parked two blocks away and pulled out his equipment. Earpiece for me, night vision scope for him, the gun tucked into a shoulder holster under his jacket.
"Remember the plan," he said, fitting the earpiece into my ear. "You approach from the main entrance. I circle around to the east side, position myself with a clear sight line. If anything goes wrong—"
"I say the word 'red,' and you come running." I checked that the earpiece was secure. "I remember."
"Good." He handed me a small device. "Emergency beacon. Press this if you lose the earpiece or can't speak. I'll get an alert and come immediately."
I tucked it into my pocket. "You're being very protective."
"Someone has to be." He met my eyes. "Be smart, Aria. Don't trust anyone. And if they ask you to give up your leverage—the evidence, the dead man's switches—don't do it. Once you're powerless, you're dead."
"I know." I squeezed his hand. "Thank you. For everything. For believing in me when no one else did."
"Always." He pulled me into a quick hug. "Now go. And be careful."
I got out of the car and walked toward the pier, my heart pounding with every step.
At exactly midnight, I reached the end of the pier.
A figure stood in the shadows, barely visible in the darkness.
"Ms. Sterling." The voice was electronically distorted. "Thank you for coming."
"You have information about Sienna Blackwood," I said, staying several feet away. "Let's hear it."
"Direct. I appreciate that." The figure stepped forward slightly, still obscured by shadow. "First, I need to know—did you bring the evidence? Everything you've gathered so far?"
"I did." I pulled out the USB drive Lucas had prepared. "But I'm not giving it to you until I know who you are and what you want."
"Fair enough." The figure pulled out a tablet and tossed it to me. I caught it, pulling it up to see the screen.
What I saw made my blood run cold.
Financial records. Corporate documents. Sealed court files.
Evidence of crimes spanning five years. Not just Sienna's manipulation of Damien and the Ashfords.
Evidence of dozens of other victims. Other lives destroyed. Other companies ruined.
"Sienna Blackwood is a professional," the voice said. "She's been doing this for years, and you're just her latest target. But you're also her biggest mistake."
"Why?"
"Because you're the first one who fought back. The first one who didn't just accept the destruction and move on." The figure moved closer, and I caught a glimpse of a woman's face behind the shadows. "You're the first one who made her scared."
"Who are you?" I asked.
The woman pulled off her sunglasses, and in the dim light, I could finally see her face.
She looked like an older version of someone I'd seen in photos. Same bone structure, same dark eyes, same elegant features.
"My name is Elena Castellano," she said. "And Sienna Blackwood killed my sister."
The name hit me like a punch to the gut.
Castellano.