Page 80 of Shattered By Grace

His eyes didn’t leave her as he took a sip, setting the glass down before leaning forward slightly. “Let’s cut to the chase. You said we needed to talk. What’s up, Victoria?”

The words hung in the air, heavy. The silence was deafening as she locked eyes with him, trying to steady herself. This was it. The moment that could change everything.

Her hands trembled slightly as she reached for the red notebook that had been sitting on the table under the folder he’d given her days ago. She slid it toward him, her fingers brushing against the smooth surface.

“I found this at my old house,” she said, her voice quieter now, almost a whisper. “In a hidden area that led to the panic room.”

She watched as his expression slowly shifted, the pieces clicking together in his mind. He didn’t touch it right away, his gaze flicking between her and the notebook. The weight of the moment hung thick in the air.

Finally, he reached forward and took the notebook from her, flipping it open with the careful precision of someone who understood the gravity of the situation. Victoria could see his jaw tighten as he scanned the pages.

“Everything you need to take down the whole Locke Empire,” Victoria whispered, her voice barely audible as if the very walls might be listening.

Adams paused, his fingers lingering over the pages for a moment longer before he looked up at her, his eyes searching. “This… this is it, isn’t it? This is the proof we’ve been looking for.”

Her throat felt dry as she nodded, unable to find the words. All she had was the weight of everything she’d just handed him, the key to destroying Cassian Locke and the empire he’d built. The key to the world that had held Tristan and Tyson in its grip, the world she was about to tear apart.

“Yes.” Victoria hesitated for just a second before fixing her gaze on Adams. “I do have one question. Why didn’t you tell me there was an actual full court case and the judge on my father’s case was dead? Ironically, he and two other judges, who were also on Locke’s payroll, are all dead.”

Adams exhaled sharply, his expression tense. “Because you were a minor and under witness protection, it was necessary to keep many details from you, including the full scope of the court proceedings. The truth is, until recently, I didn’t have enough evidence to prove the corruption. The judge presiding over your father’s case received a substantial financial deposit right after ruling there wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute. That decision let every suspect involved in your father’s murder walk free.”

He paused, his fingers tapping against the table as he continued. “The same pattern follows with the other two judges. Each of them had ties to Locke, each of them made rulings that benefited his operation, and each of them died under circumstances that appeared accidental or due to natural causes. Without definitive proof, any attempt to connect their deaths to Locke would have been circumstantial at best, until now.”

Victoria’s jaw tightened, her pulse hammering in her ears. Adams leaned forward, his voice lower but firm.

“We both know Cassian Locke eliminates liabilities. He doesn’t leave loose ends, and he doesn’t allow anything to trace back to him. That’s why this notebook is critical, it’s the first tangible link tying these judges to his criminal network. And it’s why he’s after you.” He motioned toward the notebook. “One, because he believes you’re in possession of it. And two… because you escaped.”

The weight of his words settled over her like a suffocating fog. This wasn’t just about her father’s case anymore. It was about dismantling an entire system of corruption, one that hadtaken years to build and had buried countless victims in its wake.

Victoria swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around the edge of the table. “It’s not just because I escaped, Adams. My father signed me over to Cassian. The contract is in that notebook. So this isn’t only about the evidence; it’s about silencing me before I can use it.”

Adams’s eyes widened, a flash of disbelief crossing his face. “A contract? You’re saying your father actually signed you over to him? I… I had no idea that existed. That changes everything. No wonder Cassian’s desperate to keep you quiet.”

Well, fuck.

She had already known, deep down, but hearing it said out loud made it terrifyingly real.

“I didn’t have the notebook until two days ago,” she admitted.

Adams’ expression darkened. “And you waited this long to hand it over?” His frustration was palpable, his voice rising slightly.

“I needed time,” Victoria defended, her grip tightening. “I wanted to go through it first, to see my father’s words, to figure out what he knew. I had to understand it before I gave it away.”

Adams let out a slow breath, reining in his irritation. His eyes flicked to the notebook before carefully reaching for it again. As he flipped through the pages, his trained gaze skimmed over the scrawled handwriting, absorbing the weight of the information in front of him.

“If this holds up,” he said, voice steadier now, “this could be enough to finally take down the entire Locke empire.”

Victoria exhaled, the weight of it pressing down on her. “But at what cost?”

“Is that a real question?” Adams met her gaze, his expression grim.

She hesitated. “No… Just wondering what happens to Tristan and Tyson.”

Adams scoffed. “Why are you worrying about them? They have blood on their hands, more than you can even imagine.”

Because I—What? Feel something for them? Be for real, Victoria.

She swallowed hard, pushing the thought away before it could settle.

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