At 8:17 a.m., Adeline Hayes returned to the Baron townhouse.

This time she entered through the front door.

Rourke stood in the marble foyer.

His surprise lasted less than a second.

“Adeline.”

“Rourke.”

Elias walked beside her.

Bruno remained outside with Ben in a secure vehicle.

Rourke smiled.

“Interesting morning?”

“Very,” Elias said.

“You found our thief?”

Adeline stared at him.

Rourke sighed.

“You shouldn’t have taken the bread.”

“That’s your opening line?”

“It established motive.”

Elias’s voice dropped.

“So you admit it.”

Rourke laughed.

“Admit what?”

“The warehouse routes.”

“You have evidence?”

Adeline pulled out her phone.

“Yes.”

Rourke’s eyes flicked toward it.

She had photographed every note.

More importantly, Ben had discovered something before they left Chelsea.

The anonymous files attached to one message contained hidden document metadata.

An office printer identifier.

Baron Holdings.

Executive Floor.

Rourke’s private office.

Rourke’s smile disappeared.

“You think printer metadata proves anything?”

“No,” Elias said.

“But this does.”

Bruno entered behind them.

Beside him stood an older accountant named Samuel Pike.

Rourke went pale.

Pike had handled logistics for seventeen years.

And he had spent the previous hour showing Bruno the altered manifests Rourke thought he had deleted.

“You sold six routes to Haverin,” Elias said.

Rourke shook his head.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Four million dollars moved through shell companies.”

“Your organization has fifty shell companies.”

“These paid you.”

Rourke glanced toward the door.

Two security men blocked it.

His composure finally cracked.

“I gave you eleven years.”

“You stole from me for two.”

“I built this organization beside you!”

“You sold people who trusted you.”

Rourke pointed at Adeline.

“And now you trust a maid because her father dragged you out of a car?”

Elias stepped forward.

Rourke retreated.

“Careful,” Elias said.

The tattoo across Elias’s hand disappeared beneath his clenched fingers.

Adeline moved between them.

“No.”

Elias stared at her.

“He wants you angry.”

Rourke laughed.

“Listen to your maid.”

“She has better judgment than you.”

That silenced him.

Elias turned to Bruno.

“Call our attorneys. Turn Pike’s records over to federal investigators where they concern Haverin’s legitimate businesses and financial crimes. Lock Rourke out of every company system.”

Rourke stared at him.

“You’re letting lawyers handle this?”

“I’m taking everything you thought belonged to you.”

Rourke’s face twisted.

“You’ve gotten weak.”

Elias studied the man who had advised him for eleven years.

“No. I got tired.”

“Of what?”

“Confusing fear with loyalty.”

Bruno escorted Rourke away.

At the doorway, Rourke looked back at Adeline.

“You think he cares about you?”

Adeline answered before Elias could.

“I think you’re trying very hard to make that matter.”

Rourke was taken outside.

The mansion became silent.

Adeline exhaled.

“Can I ask one question?”

Elias nodded.

“Am I fired?”

He stared at her.

“You stole my bread.”

“It was stale.”

“You stole two apples.”

“They were bruised.”

“The soup?”

“Expiration date.”

Elias considered this.

“You’re a terrible criminal.”

“Thank you.”

Then Elias looked toward the service hallway.

“You’re not fired.”

Adeline smiled.

“Good. Because I need the overtime.”

His expression changed.

“No.”

Her smile vanished.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re not working fourteen-hour shifts anymore.”

“You don’t control my schedule.”

“I own the house.”

“And I own my life.”

Elias almost laughed.

There it was.

The same stubbornness Daniel Hayes had shown beside a burning car.

“Fine,” he said.

“Fine.”

“But we need to discuss Ben.”

Adeline’s expression immediately hardened.

“No charity.”

“I didn’t say charity.”

“You were about to.”

“No. I was about to repay a debt.”

“That’s the same thing with better tailoring.”

Elias smiled.

She was going to be difficult.

Strangely, he realized he liked that.

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