Page 113 of A Violet Obsession

“Like, in love with her? For real?”

“I really don’t have time for this.” I move toward the door.

“When’s the wedding? Oh my God, I’m going to be an aunt. I’m going to be the cool aunt who teaches the kid to⁠—”

“Whenever she’s ready.” I open the door and step through.

And for once—possibly for the very first time in my entire life with Emma—I think I actually got the last word.

We’re at Elite an hour later, gathered around the big table on the second floor—Brady, his wife, Elizabeth, Vincent, Rhodes, Leo, and Luke Bloom. Lily sits beside me, bright red after I lay everything out: the cookies, the doctor, the year of conditioning, the song, the necklace. She hates being the center of attention more than almost anything, and right now the entire room is staring at her.

When I finish, Elizabeth lets out a low whistle. “When you decide to sell the rights to a studio, call me. I’ll get you a fortune. That’s the most insane thing I’ve heard all year.” She tilts her head. “And I’ve seen insane.”

“The Tates will write an affidavit?” Luke asks. “Confirming they won’t cooperate in any prosecution against Lily?”

“Yes.” I keep my hand flat on the table. “But not until the old man gets the necklace back. Until then, Lily stays under lock and key. Just in case Noah didn’t sideline Voss.”

“It’s good,” Luke says, “but it’s not enough. There’s been a ton of press. Somebody’s going to want a scalp. An affidavit won’t stop a DA who needs a win.” He spreads his hands. “We need direct evidence.”

“But it wasn’t actually stolen,” Sera protests.

“They might go for attempted theft,” Luke shrugs.

“What we need,” Vincent says, “is a confession.”

“Well, yeah,” Leo drawls. “That’d be great. I don’t think the Vales or that Doctor are going to stroll into the police station and offer one up, though.”

“I could get them to,” Lily says quietly.

The table falls silent.

She says it so calmly, I know she’s been thinking about this a lot longer than the last thirty seconds.

“Trevor, at least,” she continues. “He likes to be the smartest person in the room, and he’s not, so he over explains. Dawn’s more careful. But Trevor…” She shrugs one shoulder. “He’ll tell me, if he thinks he’s already won.”

“Do we even know the husband’s involved?” Brady asks.

“Has to be,” Vincent says. “If Lily could get him to⁠—”

“She’s not going to be bait,” I growl.

Brady exhales hard and reaches for Elizabeth’s hand under the table, and I know he understands, having been in this position before.

The tense moment shatters when the door opens without a knock, and a familiar voice says, “You started without me.”

“How the fuck did you get in here?” Brady’s already half out of his chair. He rounds on Sera. “Did you share the security code with him?”

“I think a conversation about what the two of them share is the very last thing you want to hear, Brady,” Elizabeth says mildly, not looking up from her phone.

Liev crosses the room with the unbothered ease of a man who has never once worried about whether he’s been invited, and drops into the chair beside Sera.

“If I can get them on tape,” Lily says, “then we have the confession, and it’s over.” She lifts a hand when I open my mouth. “Hear me out.”

My teeth hurt from how hard I’m clenching them, and both hands are fists under the table.

“I need this,” she says, softer now. “Not just for the tape. I need to look them in the eye and ask how they could do this to me.”

I make myself unclench my hands. “You wear a vest. And a comm. And I’m somewhere practically on top of you.”