Page 81 of Shattered By Grace

“Is there enough to tie them to anything, or just their father?”

Adams exhaled, his expression unreadable. “As of now, there’s nothing concrete linking them directly to criminal activity, at least not on paper. But once we initiate a full-scale investigation, we’ll follow every lead. Financial records, communication logs, witness statements… if there’s anything incriminating, we’ll find it.”

Victoria let out a dry laugh. “Gotta love that saying, innocent until proven guilty, right?”

Adams shot her a sharp look, his expression somewhere between disbelief and irritation. “What the hell did you just say?”

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where’s this aggression coming from?

She shrugged, but he was already shaking his head. “I’m taking this back to the office. The fact that only you and I know about it keeps things simple.”

Victoria hesitated. “Umm… I told Taylor.”

I shouldn’t have said that.

Adams froze mid-motion, his jaw tightening. “ Are you trying to get her killed?”

As they reached the door, Victoria exhaled, her nerves still frayed. “I know it was stupid,” she admitted quickly, guilt gnawing at her. “But I was stressed, and I needed to talk to someone. She already knew about everything else.”

Adams pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a slow breath. “Victoria, that was reckless.”

“I know.” Her voice was quieter now. “I’m sorry. All of this… it’s too much, and I needed someone.” She pulled the door open, the weight of the conversation still heavy between them. “I’ll keep her safe.”

Adams gave her a long look, as if debating whether to say more, then finally nodded. “Be careful.”

He stepped out into the night, leaving Victoria standing in the doorway, the storm clouds rolling in above.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Victoria’s emotions spiraled as she shut the door behind her. She could barely catch her breath, the severity of the situation crashing down on her all at once. Slowly, she slid down the door, pulling her knees up to her chest as the tears began to fall freely.

Clawdia, who had been hiding ever since Taylor had shown up the day before, finally appeared, her soft purring rubbing against Victoria’s legs.

“Hey, stranger,” Victoria whispered through her sobs, her voice ragged. “I think I just put a huge target on my friend’s back. The guy I have feelings for is either going to hate me or end up in prison. I’m so lost…”

Her words faltered as another sob wracked her body, her hands trembling as she wiped her face. Clawdia curled up next to her, offering the only comfort she could, but it did little to ease the chaos inside Victoria’s chest.

Thunder cracked, loud enough to startle Clawdia, who darted off to hide. The room felt too small, suffocating.

“I need to get out of here,” Victoria muttered, her thoughts racing. "I need to hit something. Scream if I can.”

She pushed herself up, the urgency of needing an outlet clear in her mind. She swiftly moved to her room, pulling on a pair of black leggings, a matching sports top, and a pull-over withWingleaderacross the chest. The weight of the world still pressing on her, she quickly braided her blonde hair back, every motion mechanical as she grabbed her gym bag.

Inside, she checked for her gloves, tape, and sweat towel, then her headphones. Everything was in place. She just needed to focus on the rhythm of movement—anything to drown out the noise in her head.

Not paying attention to the time, Victoria let the rhythmic pounding of her fists against the heavy bag consume her. Each strike felt like a release, the tension that had been building inside her slowly unraveling with every hit. After hours of dress shopping with Taylor, she had needed this—the sharp burn in her muscles, the sting in her knuckles, the kind of exhaustion that dulled everything else.

The gym around her faded into the background. The clang of metal and soft hum of the gym’s lights became distant, irrelevant. She barely noticed when a group of men entered, their voices muted and distant. Clients, probably. She didn’t care. She was too focused on perfecting her form, her movements sharp and controlled.

Heavy footsteps thundered toward her.

Before she could react, a rough hand seized her throat, yanking her back. Her pulse slammed against her ribs as a deep, snarling voice filled her ears.

“Mr. Locke has a message for you.”

Adrenaline surged through her veins.

Victoria twisted sharply, breaking just enough of his grip to drive her elbow into his ribs. He grunted, stumbling back, and she spun, bringing her fist up hard against his jaw. He crumpled to the floor.

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