Page 149 of Her Soul to Own

Evander’s face cracks, and his voice rises, his hands trembling. “You think this circus will save you? You think this childish tantrum can destroy what I built?! Security!”

Nothing happens.

He shouts louder, “Security!”

Still nothing.

I finally take a step forward, pulling the small black transmitter from my jacket pocket and holding it up like a trophy.

“They won’t be joining us,” I say calmly. “I made sure of that.”

Evander’s breathing turns shallow, his gaze wild when he realizes the walls are closing in.

The boardroom doors swing open once more, this time revealing a new arrival.

Elijah Blake steps in, his FBI badge displayed proudly.

“Evander Vane,” Elijah announces, his voice loud, cutting through the charged air. “You are under federal investigation for conspiracy, financial fraud, and obstruction of justice.”

Evander’s mask slips entirely, his voice breaking into a sneer. “You self-righteous piece of…”

“Save it,” Elijah says, cutting him off. “You’re going to need your breath where you’re going.”

Two agents enter and flank Evander, and he’s cuffed swiftly, the metal clinking, sharp and final.

No one in the room speaks. The king just fell.

For the first time, Evander’s calm fully shatters. His jaw tightens, and his knuckles whiten as he grips the edge of the table before being pulled to his feet.

“You did this,” he hisses at Lyra.

“No,” she answers coldly. “You did this to yourself.”

As the agents escort him out, Evander throws one last glare at me. I stare right back, dead-eyed.

“You underestimated her,” I say quietly.

He says nothing in reply, and they disappear into the hallway.

The moment the doors close, the entire room exhales. Some of the board members whisper frantically, one womanopenly weeps, and Whitaker, Evander’s little pet, slumps back in his chair like the bloated coward he is.

Lyra turns and walks back toward me, her heels echoing like gunshots. I meet her halfway.

“It’s done,” I murmur.

She looks up at me with eyes that burn like storm fire. “Not yet. But we just lit the first match.”

One by one, the board members begin to file out, avoiding our eyes, their arrogance crumbling beneath the weight of what just happened. They leave quietly, some shaken, others too proud to show it. I let them go—for now.

We’ll deal with those bastards later.

Suddenly, the boardroom is silent, eerily so. The air that once vibrated with ego and corporate bravado now feels like a vacuum, as if the walls themselves are holding their breath. Evander’s gone, dragged out in cuffs, his reign shattered. But even with him gone, my pulse hasn’t slowed.

Elijah steps forward toward Lyra, and my entire body locks up tight.

“I cut a deal,” Elijah says, his voice soft but sure. “State’s witness. I had eyes on him the whole time. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you.”

Lyra stares at him, calm, poised, and deadly. “I figured,” she says, her voice soft and raw. “Thank you, Elijah. For everything.”

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