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I nodded. “Yes, except she’s only one step ahead of me now, and we’re going to close that gap.” I shifted my gaze to Sig, who was standing quietly near the back, observing like always. He nodded slightly at my cue.
“I’ve already reached out to Candace on behalf of Guy Maranga,” Sig said, stepping forward to address the group.
Leo frowned, clearly confused. “Wait, so if she thinks Guy is still alive, doesn’t she know you’re married to him?”
I shook my head slowly, knowing this next part would catch them off guard. “No. She doesn’t know.”
Creed raised his hand like we were in a classroom. “I didn’t even know Guy was married.”
The room collectively glanced at me for answers, and I sighed. “No one did. No one knew because Guy didn’t want them to know. Especially after his diagnosis. He trained me and taught me everything with the expectation that I would take over when he was gone. But he made it clear—our marriage stayed a secret.”
The silence that followed was thick. Even Leo seemed momentarily thrown off by the revelation. The idea that someone as powerful as Guy Maranga could keep something like marriage under wraps for so long—it was a lot to take in.
Murphy scratched his chin. “So, you’re telling me this guy, this mastermind, didn’t want anyone to know he was married, even before he got sick?”
“Yes,” I said quietly. “He thought it would make him look weak. He didn’t want anyone knowing he had a wife to use against him, especially after he was diagnosed.”
Apollo shook his head, disbelief written all over his face. “Christ. Guy was a paranoid bastard.”
I gave a slight smile, though there was no humor in it. “That’s one way to put it.”
Leo exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. “So, let me get this straight—Candace doesn’t know Guy’s dead, and she doesn’t know you were married to him. And now you’ve reached out to her under his name.”
“That’s right,” Sig confirmed, his arms crossed as he looked at Leo. “She thinks Guy’s still running things. It’s our best chance to get her to lower her guard.”
“And then what?” Murphy asked, his voice a mix of curiosity and skepticism. “What’s the play here, Brynn?”
I took a deep breath. “The play is simple. We make her think Guy is still the one pulling the strings. We draw her in and makeher think she’s negotiating for something real. And when she’s close enough, we cut her off at the knees.”
Creed smirked. “I like the sound of that.”
“Of course you do,” Leo muttered. “You always did like the dramatic stuff.”
“I like anything that gets the job done,” Creed shot back.
“But why not just take her out now?” Princeton asked, speaking up for the first time. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Why go through all this if you could just end her now?”
I shook my head. “Because killing her outright doesn’t solve the problem. Candace is the face of this, but she’s built up a network. You kill her without knowing who she’s got working with her, and you create a power vacuum that could make things even worse. We need to know the full picture before we move.”
Apollo frowned. “And you think this plan will get us that?”
“I do,” I said firmly. “We get her to think she’s about to win, and she’ll start making moves. Once we have enough intel, once we know exactly who’s involved, then we take her out.”
Murphy whistled softly. “That’s one hell of a tightrope to walk.”
“It is,” I admitted. “But it’s the only way to make sure we’re not just fighting Candace—we’re fighting her entire operation.”
Leo studied me for a long moment, his eyes sharp and calculating. I could see the gears turning in his head, weighing the risks against the potential rewards. Finally, he nodded.
“Alright,” he said. “We’ll do it your way. But the second this thing goes south—”
“It won’t,” I interrupted, my voice steady. “I’ve got this.”
There was a beat of silence, and then Leo gave a small nod. “I trust you.”
That simple statement settled the room. The others didn’t say it outright, but I could feel their agreement in the way theyshifted in their chairs. The tension eased just a bit. It was a gamble, but it was one we were all willing to take.
Creed stretched his arms behind his head and let out a sigh. “So, what’s the first step?”
