Chapter 168
Serena
Wesley's jaw clenched. He was about to argue, about to push back—
"Of course he can." The words burst out of me before I could stop them. "Because Lance's people are already on their way. They'll be here any minute."
Felix's head turned toward me slowly. Interested.
I reached up, touched the necklace at my throat. Let my fingers trace the delicate chain. Let him see the movement.
"This?" I smiled. Tried to make it confident. "It's not just jewelry. It's audio surveillance. GPS tracking. Real-time monitoring." I looked directly at Felix. "Every word you've said tonight has been transmitted to Lance. Every threat. Every admission. And they know exactly where we are."
For a moment, silence.
Then Felix started clapping.
Slow. Deliberate. Mocking.
"Bravo," he said, each syllable dripping with sarcasm. "What a clever girl. What a prepared little strategist." He turned to Wesley. "Did you hear that, nephew? Lance's people are coming. Which means—" he paused for effect, "—they've heard everything you said tonight. Every confession. Every admission of guilt. Every crime you've committed."
Wesley's face went pale.
"You're an accomplice now," Felix continued smoothly. "A co-conspirator. The moment Lance's security arrives, they won't distinguish between you and me. You'll be arrested. Charged. Your life will be over." He let that sink in. "Unless—"
He reached into his jacket pocket. Pulled out a length of rope. Thin. Strong. The kind used for restraints.
He held it out to Wesley.
"Tie her up."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
"Tie her up," Felix repeated, voice harder now. "Prove you're still with me. Prove tonight was always about revenge, about getting what's yours, about standing up to Lance." He stepped closer. "Do this, and everything you said earlier? Your little rebellion? Your accusations? All forgiven. Forgotten. We move forward together."
I took a step back. Instinctive. Automatic.
My eyes went to Wesley.
He was staring at the rope in Felix's hand. His fingers twitched. Reached out.
No. My mind raced. No, no, no. He wouldn't. He just said—he just defended me—
But the logic was too clear. Too obvious.
Wesley was cornered. He'd incriminated himself. He'd aligned with criminals, participated in a kidnapping plot, made himself Lance's enemy. And now, with security coming, with arrest imminent—
He had no reason to protect me. Not anymore.
Not when protecting himself was the only rational choice.
Felix's smile widened as Wesley's hand closed around the rope.
"Good boy," Felix murmured. "Now—"
The rope dropped to the floor.
Before anyone could react, Wesley's hand shot to his jacket. Pulled out the gun I'd seen earlier—sleek, black, deadly.
In one fluid motion, he grabbed Felix from behind. Arm around his throat. Gun pressed to his temple.
"Let us leave." Wesley's voice was cold. Steady. Nothing like the uncertain boy from earlier. "Now. Or I swear to God, I'll put a bullet through your skull."
Every gun in the room swung toward us. The Corsetti men, professional and calm, took aim at Wesley. At me, by extension.
We were outnumbered. Outgunned. Completely fucked.
But Wesley didn't lower the weapon.
"I'm not making the same mistakes again," he said, each word deliberate. "I'm not letting you manipulate me. I'm not letting you use me as a weapon against people I—" he stopped, recalibrated, "—against innocent people."
"Innocent?" Felix laughed. Actually laughed, even with a gun to his head. "You think she's—"
"I think I've done enough damage for one lifetime." Wesley's grip tightened. "And if I'm going to prison for this? Fine. I'll go. I'll take responsibility. I'll face the consequences." His voice hardened. "But I'm not taking her down with me. I'm not compounding one mistake with another. I'm not—"
"You're not thinking clearly," Felix interrupted. "You're being emotional. Rash—"
"I'm thinking more clearly than I ever have." Wesley pressed the gun harder against Felix's temple. "Now tell your people to stand down. Tell them to let Serena walk out of here. Or I pull this trigger and we all deal with the consequences."
The Corsetti enforcers' guns didn't waver. Fingers on triggers. Ready.
One word from Felix, and they'd fire. One wrong move from Wesley, and we'd both be dead.
Then Felix started laughing.
Not nervous laughter. Not scared laughter.
Confident. Almost gleeful.
"My God," he said through his chuckling. "Wesley. You've actually grown up. I didn't think you had it in you."