Page 79 of Shattered By Grace

The boutique was a short drive away, tucked into a stylish row of shops downtown. The moment they stepped inside, Taylor let out a delighted gasp. “Oh, we are going to have fun.”

Rows of elegant gowns lined the walls, shimmering under the soft lighting. Victoria scanned the selections, already bracing herself for whatever chaos Taylor had planned.

“Okay, rule number one. No boring dresses. We’re going all out.” Taylor grabbed her hand.

“Let’s just get this over with.” Victoria sighed, but a small smile played on her lips.

Taylor waggled her brows. “Oh no, sweetheart, we’re just getting started.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Dress shopping had been a success. Taylor had walked away with a stunning emerald green velvet gown, the long sleeves and floor-length cut making her look effortlessly elegant. She had already started planning how to style her hair and makeup, gushing about the dramatic look she wanted to pull off.

Victoria’s dress was something else entirely. A deep red, spaghetti-strapped gown adorned with black floral appliqués. The plunging neckline and open-back design, with delicate crisscrossing straps, made her feel… beautiful. Powerful, even. She wasn’t used to feeling that way, but for once, she embraced it.

Now, back home and with Taylor long gone, the reality of everything else crashed down on her.

The dress, the masquerade, Tristan’s note with the rose—it all faded into the background as she sat on the edge of the couch, staring at the notebook.

She exhaled slowly, running a hand through her hair. There was only one thing left to do.

Grabbing her phone, she scrolled through her contacts until she landed on Detective Adams.

Her thumb hovered over the call button. Once she made this move, there was no taking it back. But hesitation wasn’t an option anymore. She tapped the screen and pressed the phone to her ear, bracing herself as the line rang.

One ring. Two.

Then, a voice. “Adams.”

Victoria took a breath. “We need to talk.” Adams had said he’d be over within the hour.

Victoria did what she always did when stressed—she hit the bag. The rhythmic sound of leather meeting leather filled the room, a brief distraction from the whirlwind of thoughts crashing through her mind.

It was five now, and she still had a bit of time. But the anxious knot in her stomach was already tightening, each jab and cross doing little to ease it.

This was it. The moment that could change everything. She wasn’t just handing over evidence, she was taking down Cassian Locke and the empire he’d built. The weight of that responsibility pressed on her shoulders with a suffocating heaviness.

But what would it mean for Tristan and Tyson? They were both part of that empire, whether they liked it or not. She could already hear their voices in her mind. Tristan, the fighter who’d turned his back on his father’s empire, but would he stay with her after this? And Tyson… who was so deeply involved in the business side of things, would he even forgive her for this betrayal?

The thought of losing them both made her chest tighten. They had become something to her in ways she wasn’t sure she understood yet, and the reality of what this could cost her felt like a cold weight sinking into her bones.

Her fists landed harder against the bag, the sting of each punch reminding her that there was no turning back. She didn’t have a choice. She couldn’t let fear stop her now.

“Coming,” Victoria muttered, slowly peeling off her gloves. She used the hem of her shirt to wipe the sweat from her forehead, then unlocked the door with a deep breath, trying to steady the anxiety that had been gnawing at her all afternoon.

“Hey, come in,” she said, voice steadier than she felt. As she opened the door, a flash of thunder cracked across the sky, making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

Detective Adams stepped inside, his presence just as sharp as she remembered. With his neatly pressed shirt and badge clearly visible on his belt, he looked every bit the part of the official detective. He was built like someone who’d seen his share of trouble, muscular, but not too bulky. His square jaw, thick eyebrows that gives his face a constant look of focus, and dark eyes that seemed to pierce right through to her thoughts. His hair was dark brown, slightly messy as if he didn’t care to comb it just right, and he had a light stubble that added to his rugged, no-nonsense look.

“Looks like we’re about to get hit with a bad storm later,” he said, glancing out the window as the wind picked up.

“I love when it rains,” Victoria offered, forcing a smile. “It’s calming, especially when it taps against the windows.”

She gestured toward the kitchen table, trying to ground herself in the mundane. “Something to drink? Water? Wine?”

“Water, thanks.”

Adams walked to the table, his movements sharp. He sat, folding his long fingers together as he waited for her to join him. Victoria walked to the table and handed him the water, then slowly took a seat across from him, her pulse pounding in her ears.

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