Chapter 38

Chapter 38
Daniel's POV

Lila Dubois. Her name flashed on my phone screen. I stared at it. She was the last person I expected to hear from, especially after our little ruse at the bar. She was sharp. Too sharp. She probably saw right through me. But she was also Sienna's closest friend. And that meant something.

I answered the call. "Dubois," I stated. No pleasantries.

"Daniel. I need to talk to you. Now. It's about Evan." Her voice was devoid of her usual biting sarcasm. It was all business. All urgency. That got my attention.

"Where?" I asked.

"There's a cafe on Broad Street. The one with the terrible coffee but decent anonymity. Give me twenty." She hung up before I could reply.

Twenty minutes later, I walked into the cafe. It smelled like stale coffee and desperation. Lila was already at a corner table, a tablet open in front of her. She looked focused. Like a hunter. She didn't look up until I pulled out a chair and sat down opposite her.

Her eyes, usually so calculating, were narrowed. "Thanks for coming," she murmured. "This isn't a social call."

"I figured," I replied. "What's he done now?"

She pushed the tablet towards me. "See for yourself."

I took the device. The screen showed a dense array of spreadsheets, legal documents, and blurred images. My gaze fell on the first summary sheet. My eyes scanned the figures. Debts. Multiple failed ventures. Off shore accounts. Dummy corporations. The numbers were staggering. "What the hell is this?" I demanded.

"Evan Thompson's financial history," Lila stated, her voice flat. "Or, rather, his spectacular financial implosion. He's been bleeding money for years. Every venture he touched turned to dust. The man is broke, Daniel. Worse than broke. He's deep in the red. There are even hints of some, shall we say, less than legal dealings. Creative accounting. Shell companies. A few names that pop up in less reputable circles."

My jaw clenched. I felt a cold surge of anger. Not for me. For Sienna. "He's bankrupt."

"Effectively," Lila confirmed. "He's desperate. Which is why he's back. Sienna isn't his long lost love. She's his last resort. His personal ATM machine. Her art career is finally taking off, right? He's seen her as his golden ticket out of this mess. He'll suck her dry."

I slammed the tablet onto the table. The noise made a few patrons look our way. I ignored them. "That son of a bitch," I growled. "He's playing her. Using the kids. The family narrative. He's a goddamn parasite."

"Precisely," Lila agreed, a grim satisfaction in her tone. "He played her for years. Now he's trying for round two. And she's still so blind. So caught up in the idea of a 'whole family' for Zoe and Leo. It makes her vulnerable."

"She can't fall for this," I announced. My voice was low but fierce. "She needs to see this. All of it."

"She will," Lila promised. "But we have to be smart about it. We can't just dump this on her lap. She's fragile right now. She's already reeling from... other things." Her eyes flickered to me, a silent acknowledgment of the bar incident. My stomach tightened. "She'll be devastated. She'll feel like an idiot for falling for it again. And then she'll get angry. We need to channel that anger into action. Not into self pity."

"So what's the plan?" I demanded. My mind was already racing, analyzing the data on the tablet, thinking of ways to use it. "We take him down. Legally. Publicly. Whatever it takes."

"We do," Lila affirmed, her gaze meeting mine. Her eyes were sharp, determined. "But we work together. My legal connections. Your... resources. You know people. You have access to information I don't. We form an alliance. Reluctant as it may be."

I leaned back in my chair, studying her. Lila Dubois. The woman I had once dismissed as a cynical, high maintenance friend. But she was loyal. Fiercely loyal. And smart as hell. She was driven by a genuine concern for Sienna, not personal gain. That commanded respect.

"An alliance," I echoed, the word feeling strange on my tongue. "So, no more snide remarks about my character?"

She almost smiled. A faint twitch of her lips. "I make no promises. But for the duration of this particular project, we focus on the enemy. Evan. He's a common target. Your reputation is on the line too, Daniel. If Sienna falls for his schemes, it reflects poorly on everyone associated with her. And it will make her life a living hell."

She was right. The implications for Sienna were massive. Not just financially, but emotionally. He would destroy her. And I couldn't let that happen. Not after everything. Not after... well, after everything.

"Alright," I conceded, pushing the tablet back towards her. "Consider us allied. What's the first step? We need more than just financial records. We need definitive proof of his malicious intent. Something undeniable that Sienna can't ignore."

Lila picked up the tablet. Her fingers moved swiftly, pulling up another screen. "My contacts can get us more. We're looking for patterns. Old lawsuits. Other victims. And we need to anticipate his next move. A cornered rat is dangerous. He'll probably try to play the victim. Or accuse Sienna of something to deflect."

"He'll try to use the kids," I stated, the thought turning my stomach. "He's already doing it."

"Exactly," Lila replied, her voice hardening. "Which is why we have to be precise. Clinical. We box him in. We cut off his escape routes. And then we show Sienna what he truly is. Without him having anywhere left to run." She looked at me, a silent challenge in her eyes. "Are you in, Daniel? Fully in?"

I didn't hesitate. My earlier calculation about Sienna, the ruse with Jake and the women, now felt like a child's game compared to this. This was real. This was a man preying on the woman I... cared about. Deeply.

"I'm in," I confirmed. My voice was low. Filled with resolve. "Completely. Let's burn him down."

Lila nodded. A flicker of something akin to approval in her eyes. "Good. Then let's strategize. We need to discuss how to approach Sienna. And how to ensure her children are protected from the fallout." She leaned forward, her voice dropping. "We'll work quickly. Evan won't sit still for long. And neither will Sienna once she realizes the truth."