Chapter 116 Calling the Shots Once More
Rowan
The moment Theo rips the gun from his hand, the room detonates into motion.
It isn’t clean. It isn’t controlled. There’s a sharp crack of bodies colliding, the scrape of shoes against tile, Camille shouting something behind me, Devin moving in fast with that precise, measured efficiency of his. The guard hits the ground hard, air punching out of him as the weapon skids across the floor. Theo kicks it away without hesitation and drives him down with a force that would have broken a weaker man.
I don’t move. Not yet. Because I’m watching him. The man who shut down my perimeter. The man who sold access to my home. The man who put his hands on her.
Something violent coils low in my chest, hot and immediate, demanding release. It would be easy. One step forward, one decision, and he wouldn’t get back up.
It would also destroy everything we just gained. Evidence. Leverage. Proof.
I force the instinct down. Hard. Because this isn’t about satisfaction. It’s about control.
“Don’t touch him.” My voice cuts through the room like a blade.
Theo freezes mid-motion, his fist still twisted in the guard’s shirt, ready to drive him into the floor again. Devin pauses as well, eyes flicking toward me, reading the shift instantly.
The guard is shaking beneath them, breath coming in broken gasps, his face pressed into the tile. “I didn’t mean it—I didn’t mean to do that—I just panicked—”
“I know.” The words come out calm. Too calm.
It makes him sob harder. Good.
I step forward slowly, each movement deliberate, measured. The room adjusts around me without being told. Theo releases him but doesn’t step far. Devin straightens, already recalibrating. Camille stays back, pale and wide-eyed.
Violet... I don’t look at her. Not yet. Because if I do, I will forget why I’m holding back. And I cannot afford that.
“Sit him up.”
Theo hauls him upright without question, forcing him onto his knees. The guard’s hands tremble violently, his breathing uneven, his eyes wild with panic.
“Look at me.”
He does. Slowly. Terrified.
I crouch just enough to bring myself level with him. “You said you have proof,” I say, voice low, controlled. “Messages. Payment. Communication.”
“Yes—yes, I do,” he chokes out immediately. “Everything—I didn’t delete anything, I swear—texts, calls—I still have it all—”
“You’ll be handing that over,” I interrupt, “to my lawyer.”
His eyes flick to Devin like he’s just realizing what that means. “I’ll cooperate,” he rushes, words tumbling over each other. “I’ll tell them everything—I’ll go to the police—I’ll—”
“You’ll do exactly what I tell you to do.”
That stops him. For a second, the room holds still.
I straighten slowly, looking down at him. “And you’re not going anywhere until that happens.”
His lips tremble. “Please… I have a family… I didn’t think—”
“No,” I cut in coldly. “You didn’t.” My gaze sharpens. “And that’s the problem.”
I turn away from him. Because if I look at him any longer, I will stop thinking about strategy and start thinking about punishment. And right now, punishment is a liability.
“Everyone else is done.”
Silence falls instantly. They don’t understand. Of course they don’t. So I make it unmistakably clear.
“You’re all fired.”
The words land like a gunshot. A few of them shift, stunned. One of them steps forward slightly.
“Sir—”
“Effective immediately,” I continue, not even looking at him. “You no longer have access to this property, this company, or anything associated with me.”
“But we didn’t—” another starts, panic creeping into his voice.
“You were compromised.”
That word cuts through everything. Final. Unforgiving.
“And I don’t keep compromised assets.”
No one argues after that. Because they can hear it. There’s no appeal. No second chance. No negotiation.
Theo exhales slowly under his breath. Camille looks like she’s trying to process it. Devin doesn’t react at all.
The rest of them leave. Quiet. Tense. Gone.
The house feels different the second they’re out. Cleaner. Sharper. Like something rotten has finally been cut out.
“Get something to tie him.”
Theo disappears and returns with restraints. Not professional, but effective. The guard doesn’t fight. He doesn’t have the energy left. His shoulders shake as Theo binds his wrists and secures him to one of the heavy kitchen chairs.
“I’ll cooperate,” he keeps repeating. “I’ll tell you everything—I swear—please don’t—please don’t ruin my life—”
“You already did that yourself,” Theo mutters under his breath.
“Enough,” I say.
Theo steps back immediately.
The guard looks at me again, desperate. “Please—Mr. Ashcroft—I’ll give you everything—just don’t—don’t fire me—I need this job—my kids—”
I step closer again. Slow. Measured. Cold.
“You lost that the moment you took their money.”
His face crumples. “I needed it—” he whispers. “I was behind on my mortgage—I didn’t know it would turn into this—”
“You didn’t need ten thousand dollars,” I say quietly. His eyes squeeze shut. “You wanted it.”
Silence. Heavy. Final.
I turn away before I do something I can’t take back. And reach for my phone. There’s only one call that matters now.
I don’t hesitate.
He answers on the second ring.
“Vale.” Direct. Always.
“Marcus.”
A pause. Recognition.
“Rowan.” His tone shifts slightly. Not softer. Just alert. “You don’t call unless something’s wrong.”
“I call when something’s broken.”
That earns me silence. Then— “What happened?”
I don’t pace. I don’t soften it.
“Security breach. Internal compromise. Local police are already contaminated. I have a witness tied directly to Councilwoman Hargrove and evidence of bribery and obstruction.”
Silence.
“Say that again.”
“Hargrove is involved,” I repeat. “She used an intermediary to buy access to my security system. Paid to have my perimeter disabled.” I glance briefly at the guard. “He’s sitting in my kitchen right now.”
Marcus exhales slowly. “If this is real—”
“It is.”
Another pause.
“Send me everything.”
“It’s already being compiled.” Devin is already moving, pulling files, organizing communications, extracting what we need.
Marcus’s voice drops slightly. “You understand what happens if I step into this.”
“Yes.”
“This doesn’t stay quiet.”
“It’s not supposed to.”
Silence once more.
“I’m on my way.”
The line goes dead. I lower the phone slowly.
For the first time since the alarm went off, something settles. Not calm. Not relief. Control.
Theo studies me carefully. “You just escalated this to federal.”
“No,” I correct flatly. “They did.”
Devin glances up. “Once this goes federal, there’s no pulling it back.”
“I’m not interested in pulling it back.”
I finally look at Violet. Really look at her. She’s watching me like she’s trying to understand something. Something new. Something she didn’t expect to see.
I hold her gaze for a second longer than I should. Then I break it. Because now is not the time for that.
I turn back to Devin. “I want the other house prepped. Immediately.”
He nods once. “Already calling it in.”
“Full sweep,” I continue. “Security reset. New team. I want that kitchen cleared, sanitized, and stocked within the hour. All rooms and bathrooms cleaned and stocked as well.”
“This one?” he asks.
I glance around the room. At the chair. At the man tied to it. At the space that was supposed to be untouchable.
“This house is compromised.” The words taste like failure. “I’m not risking anyone here again.”
Devin nods. “Understood.”
I shift my attention to Theo. “Make a note.”
He straightens slightly. “Yeah?”
“Every future security hire gets vetted under new protocols. Financial audits. Background deep dives. No exceptions.”
Theo nods immediately. “Done.”
Behind us, the guard lets out a broken sob. “I’ll tell him everything,” he says quickly. “This Marcus guy—I’ll tell him everything—please—”
I don’t look at him. Not anymore. Because he’s not the problem now. He’s the solution.
And solutions don’t get sympathy. They get used.