Chapter 165
Chapter 165
But what Dahlia didn't notice was the pinhole camera hidden behind a decorative piece on top of the bookshelf, its indicator light blinking a faint, steady red.
The next morning, Amara sat in the study, opened her computer, and pulled up the previous night's surveillance footage.
She watched Dahlia slip into her room in the dead of night, rifle through the drawer, and photograph its contents with her phone.
Amara stared at the screen. Her fingers slowly curled into fists, her eyes darkening with cold fury.
Her daughter had become a liability.
---
Meanwhile.
Hawk sat in the study of his Amber District villa, clutching a freshly delivered investigation report. His expression was grim.
The report clearly documented Mireille's private meeting with Hayden, the Visconti Group's third-largest shareholder, at a boutique coffee shop three days prior.
After she'd left, Hayden had immediately called his secretary requesting the Visconti Group's dividend records for the past five years.
Hawk slapped the report onto the desk with a sharp crack.
A few seconds later, he picked up his phone and dialed Amara. His voice was ice. "Do you have any idea what Mireille's been doing behind our backs?"
Amara paused on the other end. "What do you mean?"
"She met with Hayden Smith—one of the Visconti Group's shareholders. In private."
Hawk's voice was low, but every word dripped with rage.
"She's trying to build her own connections around us. Your little pawn is starting to think for herself."
Amara was silent for a few seconds. A flash of anger crossed her eyes, but she steadied herself before speaking, her voice cool and measured. "I'll handle it."
"You'd better handle it cleanly. If it weren't for you, I never would've brought her back into the country to get in my way."
Hawk spat the words out and hung up.
Amara's face was stone. She tossed the phone aside, walked out of the room, and went straight to Mireille's door, knocking sharply.
Mireille was sitting on the bed scrolling her phone. When Amara walked in, she locked the screen and offered an easy smile. "Ms. Morris. What can I do for you?"
Amara didn't smile. She stepped inside, closed the door, and stood over Mireille, looking down at her.
"You met with Hayden yesterday afternoon?"
The smile on Mireille's face froze for a fraction of a second before smoothing back into place.
She set the phone aside and leaned against the headboard, her tone still casual. "Word travels fast around you, Ms. Morris."
"Don't play games with me."
Amara's voice dropped, her glare pinning the unfazed woman before her.
"I'm asking you—why did you go see Hayden?"
Mireille was quiet for a few seconds. Then she sat up straight, met Amara's eyes, and the lightness drained from her voice, replaced by a smile laced with meaning.
"Ms. Morris, I'll be honest with you. I went to see Hayden because I wanted a backup plan."
Amara's gaze sharpened. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I don't intend to wait around until this whole thing blows up and you and Hawk throw me under the bus."
Mireille's voice was steady, each word precise.
She let out a soft, cold scoff.
"I've handled too much of the money flow in this operation. If things go south, you two can disappear overseas. What about me? Where do I go?"
Amara stared at her for a long moment, then let out a brittle laugh. "So you went behind our backs."
"I didn't go behind anyone's back."
A dangerous glint surfaced in Mireille's eyes.
She'd gone too deep. Hawk and Amara had been using her as a shield. If the truth came out, there'd be no escape for her.
Now, she had no choice. No one was going to stop her.
"I'm just trying to stay alive. Relax—I didn't tell Hayden anything about you. I only let him know that there are some issues inside the Visconti Group, and that I'm in a position to help him address them."
"As for what those issues are specifically—I didn't say a single word."
Amara's gaze swept back and forth across her face, weighing every syllable for truth or lie.
Finally, she drew a deep breath and eased her tone slightly.
"Mireille, I understand your concerns. But you need to understand mine. Hawk is not someone I can control. Now that he knows you've been making moves on your own, he won't let it slide. And I won't be able to protect you."
Mireille lowered her head. After a pause, she murmured, "I understand, Ms. Morris."
Amara studied her submissive posture and felt her guard relax a fraction. She patted Mireille's shoulder, her voice softening. "Get some rest. Don't overthink it."
She turned and walked out.
The instant the door clicked shut, Mireille lifted her head. Every trace of compliance vanished from her eyes, replaced by a cold, crystalline clarity.
She would never believe another word from Amara's mouth.
---
The following morning, Mireille used a trip to the Douglas Group to deliver project materials as cover. In the restroom, she pulled out a burner phone and dialed a number.
It rang twice before connecting. Arabella's voice came through, tinged with surprise. "Mireille?"
"It's me."
Mireille kept her voice low, speaking fast.
"I don't have much time, so I'll make this quick. I want to make a deal with you."
Two seconds of silence on Arabella's end. "What kind of deal?"
"I know you're investigating Hawk. I can give you a complete inventory of his domestic assets—every property, every equity stake under his name—along with the full record of funds he funneled out of the Visconti Group through Amara and Efrain."
Mireille paused. Something ruthless flickered behind her eyes.
"It's enough to put Hawk behind bars."
Arabella didn't respond immediately. She wasn't entirely surprised that Mireille had come to her, but she took a few seconds before speaking. "What's the price?"
"When it's over, I walk away clean."
Mireille's hand tightened around the phone.
Amara's words yesterday had made the message clear: Hawk already knew.
He wouldn't let her off.
Rather than wait for him to come after her, she'd rather join forces with someone who shared the same enemy—and take Hawk down first.
"I'm not asking you to clear my name. I'm only asking that when the final reckoning comes, you cut me loose from this whole operation."
"Everything I did was under duress from Amara and Hawk. I was coerced. Not willing."
Another few seconds of silence from Arabella. Then: "I need to think about it."
"You don't have much time to think."
Mireille clenched her jaw, her words coming faster.
"Hawk already knows I met with Hayden. His trust in me is at rock bottom. If something happens to me, all that asset information disappears with me—and you'll never get a complete chain of evidence."