The morning after Waverly's warning was anything but peaceful.
Siena stood in front of the wide window of Alexander's penthouse, staring at the skyline but not seeing it. Her reflection glared back at her in the glass, tired eyes, clenched jaw, and hair swept back hastily into a bun. It had been days since she'd slept. Even longer since she'd felt safe.
She wasn't scared anymore, though.
She was angry.
Behind her, Alexander was on a call with Reeve. The two of them had been speaking nonstop since the files from the USB had begun unlocking piece by piece. Siena overheard snippets—talk of off-shore wire transfers, federal involvement, and the digital paper trail leading back to Whitelake Holdings.
But even with the truth trickling in, one thing remained crystal clear: this wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.
"We need to move fast," Alexander said as he hung up, his voice calm but tight. "Reeve traced one of the Cayman accounts. Guess who's listed as a silent consultant?"
"Don't say it," Siena replied without turning around.
"Richard Holden."
Her hands balled into fists at her sides.
"Of course he is," she said. "It's always the ones who know how to hide in plain sight."
Alexander walked over to her, resting his hand lightly on her shoulder. "We're getting closer. The truth is coming together."
Siena turned to face him. "Yeah, but what do we do with the truth? It's not just about getting a conviction, Alex. It's about surviving long enough to testify. And making sure the people watching don't find a way to spin this before we even speak."
He nodded. "Which is why we're going public."
Siena blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I've scheduled a press conference," he said. "We're not waiting for the courts to crawl. We bring the evidence forward, piece by piece. Let the media run with it. Let the people see."
"That could be suicide."
"Or it could be protection. If we keep it hidden, they'll try to silence us. But if it's out there—everywhere—they can't bury it all."
She exhaled. Slowly. "You're ready to go nuclear?"
"I've been ready since the day Dael died."
---
Later that afternoon, Siena sat in a private meeting room with ADA Vivian Chen, Reeve, and a digital forensics analyst who looked like he hadn't slept in days. He was skinny, pale, and twitchy, but brilliant.
"The password finally cracked?" Siena asked him.
He nodded. "It was hidden in the metadata of the recording Dorian left. 'RedOnyx2023'—that was the key. Once we decrypted it, this is what we found."
He tapped a few keys, and a document loaded onto the screen.
It wasn't long—barely three pages—but the implications hit like a truck.
The first page was a list of transactions—millions of dollars laundered through shell companies and fake charities.
The second was a list of names. Federal committee members. Corporate CEOs. One judge.
And at the very top: Richard Holden.
The third page was a contract—one that detailed the silent acquisition of Hartline Inc. through Whitelake Holdings, signed just weeks before Curtis Hart's death.
Vivian's face was pale.
"This is… enough to start a RICO case," she whispered. "If we can get witness testimony to back it up."
"You'll get it," Siena said. "I'll testify."
Vivian looked at her with a seriousness Siena hadn't seen before. "They will come after you."
"I know."
"They won't be subtle."
"I don't need them to be."
The ADA studied her, then nodded. "Then we move. Fast. If we can freeze the assets and schedule the press conference, we might have a shot at pulling this into public record before anyone silences us."
Reeve added, "And if Richard Holden is still operating from the shadows, he'll show his face soon. Desperate men always do."
---
That night, Siena received a call from an unknown number.
She let it ring out.
Then it rang again.
And again.
The fourth time, she answered.
She didn't say anything. Just waited.
"Siena," the voice said.
Familiar.
Measured.
Cold.
She recognized it instantly.
"Richard," she said softly.
There was a pause. Then a low chuckle.
"You always were sharp," he said.
"You always were a snake," she snapped.
"I suppose we're both true to form."
She walked into the quiet of her room and closed the door. "You killed Dael."
"I did what needed to be done."
"For what? To keep Whitelake alive? To protect a pile of corrupt money and dying legacy projects?"
"To keep the system from collapsing," he said coolly. "You don't understand the scope, Siena. You think this is about morality. It's about control. About balance. Some people die for the greater good."
"I hope you choke on your 'greater good.'"
"I tried to protect you," Richard said suddenly. "I tried to keep your name out of this. Out of pity. Out of loyalty to your father."
"Don't you dare say his name?"
"He would've agreed with me."
"No," she said. "He would've fought you. And so will I."
Another pause.
"You'll regret this."
"No," she whispered. "You will."
Then she hung up.
---
The press conference was scheduled for the next morning.
It wasn't grand—just a mid-sized room filled with local and national journalists, a few camera crews, and ADA Vivian Chen standing behind the podium.
Siena and Alexander sat off to the side, hearts pounding.
Vivian took a deep breath before speaking.
"We are opening a formal federal investigation into Whitelake Holdings and several affiliated corporations," she began. "The scope of this investigation includes allegations of fraud, murder, bribery, and systemic financial abuse spanning over a decade."
The room buzzed.
"Evidence has been submitted, including financial records, whistleblower testimonies, and audio files from key individuals. These materials will be made available to appropriate federal agencies within the hour."
She paused.
"And no one is above the law."
The press erupted.
Siena looked at Alexander, who squeezed her hand under the table. "You did it," he said softly.
She shook her head. "No. We started it."
But just as the questions began flying, Reeve's phone buzzed. He checked it.
Then his face drained of color.
"Get down," he said sharply.
"What?" Siena blinked.
"There's been a breach. Someone just triggered the silent alarm at the east entrance."
Gunshots.
Screams.
Chaos.
Vivian ducked. Security rushed forward.
Reeve tackled Siena behind the podium as Alexander lunged beside her, covering her body with his own.
More shots.
Glass shattered.
The room turned into a stampede of bodies.
Then, just as suddenly, silence.
Sirens in the distance.
The gunman was gone.
Siena's ears rang as she slowly sat up, heart thudding.
Reeve looked at her. "That was a warning."
She stared at the broken glass, the blood on the tile, and the silence that followed.
"No," she said quietly.
"That was war."