Chapter 51 RACING AGAINST TIME

Chapter 51 RACING AGAINST TIME


Adeline's POV

Six weeks…..The number haunted me every morning, every night.

Forty-two days until Belle married Grey.
Forty-two days to prove he was dangerous.

"The attorney general's office received our file," Kayden said. "They're reviewing it."

"How long will that take?"

"Weeks. Maybe a month. These things don't move fast."

"We don't have time to wait for a month. We have just six weeks left."

"I know, but judicial corruption investigations take time. They have to verify everything and build their own case. They can't just unseal records based on an anonymous file."

"Even when the evidence is overwhelming?"

"Even then."

I paced the study frustrated and helpless.

We'd done everything right, gathered evidence, followed legal channels and built an undeniable case.
And it still wasn't enough.

"What if the investigation doesn't finish in time?" I asked.

"What if Grey's records stay sealed until after the wedding?"

"Then we use what we have. Sarah's testimony, the patterns we've documented. We show Belle everything and hope she believes us."

"She won't….not without official records. Not without proof she can verify."

"Then what do you suggest?"

I didn't answer because the options left were getting darker….more desperate.

That afternoon, I met with Stardust in person, at a secure location.

"I need options," I said. "Drastic ones."

"How drastic?"

"Grey needs to be eliminated as a threat. Permanently."

Stardust stared at me. "You want to kill him."

"I want my sister safe. If that means Grey disappears, then yes."

"Blue, that's not a job. That's murder. And if it traces back to you—"

"It won't."

"You don't know that. Grey is connected to the Gravanos. If he dies mysteriously, they'll investigate. They'll look at everyone who had motive."

"Then make it look like an accident."

"There's no such thing as a perfect accident. Especially not with someone as high-profile as Grey."

"So what? I just watch my sister marry a violent predator? Wait for him to hurt her?"

"I'm saying think this through. If you kill Grey, you might save Belle from him but you'll also start a war. The Gravanos will want revenge, and they'll come after everyone connected to you."

"Let them."

"Including Belle. They'll go after her too. Maybe not physically, but they'll destroy her life and make her pay for Grey's death."

I sat back.

"So I'm trapped. I can't kill him or prove what he is. I can't do anything except watch this wedding happen."

"Not nothing, you're building a case. It's just taking longer than you want."

"Longer than I have."

Stardust leaned forward. "What if you're wrong?"

"About what?"

"About Grey…..about everything. What if he really does care about Belle? What if this isn't some elaborate manipulation?"

"It is. We have proof—"

"You have proof he worked for the Gravanos, proof he has a violent past, but that was years ago. People change. What if Grey changed? What if he really is trying to build a life with your sister?"

"Then why all the secrecy? Why the fake identity? Why meet with Russio in abandoned warehouses?"

"I don't know. But maybe there's an explanation. One that doesn't make him a monster."

I wanted to believe that, to think maybe we'd gotten it wrong.

But I couldn't.
Not with everything we'd found…everything we knew.

"He's dangerous," I said firmly. "And I'm going to prove it."

"Just... be careful. Don't destroy your sister's happiness chasing shadows."

That evening, Belle called for the first time in weeks.

"Hey," she said uncertain.

"Belle….Hi….I'm so glad you called."

"Yeah. I... I've been thinking. About our fight…about everything."

"Me too."

"I was really angry. At you for not supporting me, for questioning Grey."

"I know. And I'm sorry. I pushed too hard."

"But I understand why you're worried. You're my big sister, worrying is kind of your thing."

"It is."

"So I wanted to ask... will you help me with the wedding? I know things have been weird, but you're still my maid of honor. And I need you."

My throat tightened. "Of course. Whatever you need."

"Really? Because I have about a million things to do and I'm completely overwhelmed."

"I'm here….all in. Tell me what you need."

She sighed with relief. "Thank you. Can you come over this weekend? We can look at venues, start planning?"

"Absolutely."

"And Addy? I'm sorry too for shutting you out and being so defensive."

"You had every right to be defensive. I was attacking your relationship."

"You were protecting me. There's a difference. I just... I couldn't see it then."

"Do you see it now?"

"I see that you care….that you're worried and I love you for that. But I also see Grey, who he is with me, how he treats me, and I believe in him….In us."

"Okay."

"You don't sound convinced."

"I'm trying. I really am. But Belle, if you ever feel unsafe, if Grey ever does anything that makes you uncomfortable—"

"He won't. I know you have this image of him as some threat. But he's not. He's kind and patient and he loves me."

"Okay. I'll try to see what you see."

"That's all I'm asking. Just give him a chance. Give us a chance."

"I will."

We talked for another hour about wedding details, dress options, flower arrangements.

And I really tried to be excited, to be supportive, but every word felt like a lie.

That night, Kayden found me on the terrace.
"Belle called," I said. "She wants me to help plan the wedding."

"That's good, she's letting you back in."

"Or it means I have to watch her plan her own destruction and smile through it."

"Which would you rather? Be shut out completely? Or have a chance to stay close? To watch for warning signs?"

"Watch for them? I already know he's dangerous. But I can't prove it. Can't stop it. Can't do anything except play along."

"Then that's what we do. We play along. We stay close. And we keep investigating."

"What if we don't find anything in time? What if the wedding happens and we still have no proof?"

"Then we accept that we did everything we could."

"That's not enough."

"It might have to be."

I looked at him. "You're giving up."

"I'm being realistic. We've been at this for weeks. Months, really. And we have evidence, testimony. We have patterns, but none of it is enough to convince Belle."

"So we find more."

"What if there is no more? What if this is all we're going to get?"

"Then I make a choice. Between Belle's happiness and her safety."

"And you'll choose safety. Even if it means destroying her happiness, even if it means she never forgives you."

"Yes."

Kayden was quiet. "What if we're wrong?"

"About what?"

"About Grey…about everything. What if Annabelle really is in love? What if Grey really does care about her? What if we're destroying something real because we're so convinced it's fake?"

"We're not wrong."

"How do you know? Because we have evidence he worked for my family? Lots of people work for my family. That doesn't make them monsters."

"He has a history of violence."

"From when he was a teenager. People change especially with therapy…with time. What if Grey changed?"

"You saw the file, the psychological evaluation. He was diagnosed as high risk."

"Fifteen years ago. He's not that kid anymore."

"So you think I'm wrong? You think Grey is harmless?"

"I think... I think we need to consider the possibility that we're so focused on protecting Belle, we're not seeing what's actually there. What if she really is happy? What if Grey really does love her? And we destroy it because we can't accept that?"

I stared at him.

"You're saying I should let this wedding happen."

"I'm saying we should make sure we're right before we blow up her life. Before we take away her choice. Her happiness."

"Her safety is more important than her happiness."

"Is it? Or is that just what we tell ourselves to justify taking away her happiness? Making decisions for her?"

"I'm not taking away her happiness, I'm protecting her."

"From what, from a man she loves, a life she chose?"

"From someone who might hurt her!"

"Might, not will. Based on things he did as a troubled teenager, on the fact that he works for my family. That's not proof of current danger, it's suspicion."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"You're taking his side?"

"I'm taking Belle's side. She's an adult and she made a choice. Maybe we should respect that instead of assuming she's too naive to know what she wants."

"She doesn't know who Grey really is."

"Neither do we. We know who he was, who he worked for, but who he is now? With Belle? We're guessing. And maybe we're guessing wrong."

I turned away. "I can't believe you're saying this."

"I'm saying we need to be sure….really sure. Before we do something we can't take back."

"I am sure."

"Are you? Or are you so used to seeing threats everywhere that you can't recognize when something might actually be safe?"

The words hit like a slap.
"That's not fair."

"Isn't it? You've spent your whole life protecting Belle, being the one who keeps her safe. What if this time, she doesn't need protecting? What if this time, you're the threat to her happiness?"

I couldn't speak. My chest felt tight….too tight.

Kayden moved closer.

"I'm not saying give up, I'm saying be certain because if we're wrong, if we destroy this relationship and Grey really was good for her, Belle will never forgive us. And she shouldn't."

He left.

And I stood there, his words echoing.

What if we're really wrong. What if Annabelle really is in love and we're
destroying her happiness?

I wanted to dismiss it, to say he was wrong, that I knew better.
But what if I didn't?

What if my need to protect Belle was blinding me to the truth….what if Grey really had changed?

What if……what if I was the villain in this story?