I stilled. “Are you sure?”
I’d almost let Christian’s call roll to voicemail. I wanted to enjoy my last night in Paris with Vivian, but my curiosity had gotten the better of me. He wouldn’t call unless he had a major update.
I was right.
“Yes. We have eyes on all eight locations,” Christian said. “Just say the word, and you’ll be free of the Laus forever.”
My hand closed tight around my phone. I waited for the relief to rush in. The joy, the triumph, the fuckingvindicationnow that I could take down Francis the way I’d dreamed of for months.
Nothing came.
Instead, my stomach hollowed like Christian’s words had sucked all the air out of it.
I glanced through the doorway at Vivian. I stood outside the restaurant’s entrance, far enough she couldn’t hear what I was saying but close enough to glimpse her soft, content smile as she gazed out at the city.
A burn radiated in my chest. She looked so fucking happy. Even with the last-minute trip and the upcoming Legacy Ball, she’d come alive in Paris in a way that made me want to stay here with her forever.
No blackmail, no Francis, no society bullshit. Just us.
Because this was, most likely, our last trip together.
“Dante?” Christian prompted.
I tore my eyes away from Vivian. “I heard you.” The onset of a migraine crawled behind my temples. “What about the business side?”
“Also ready to go.”
“Good.” The sentiment scraped past my tight throat. “And our other project? With the startup?”
I was stalling. I should’ve given Christian the go-ahead the second he confirmed we found all of Francis’s backups, but something prevented the words from reaching my tongue.
“Heath’s company has run into some trouble.” Satisfaction filled Christian’s drawl. “The software has been plagued with issues lately. Employees are nervous. Investors are spooked. IPO looks dead in the water. It’s deeply unfortunate.”
“Very.”
I recognized the hypocrisy, considering what Christian and I had planned would push her away forever, but I didn’t give a fuck. I’d never been logical when it came to her. She was my one spark of selfishness in a lifetime of reason.
“Honestly, it was so easy it was almost boring.” Christian yawned. “Now that that’s out of the way, what do you want me to do about Francis?”
I didn’t respond. I didn’t know how to.
I heard the heaviness of his pause over the line. “Let me remind you this is what you’ve been working toward for eight months,” he said. “The man blackmailed you and threatened your brother’s life.”
“I’m well aware,” I snapped.
I pushed a hand through my hair, trying to think through the pressure squeezing my skull.
The hypothetical sequence of events following my go-ahead played before my mind’s eye like a movie on fast forward.
Christian destroys the evidence and torpedoes Lau Jewels. Vivian hears the news about her family’s livelihood going up in flames. I tell her the truth about the blackmail. She leaves…
The pressure spread to my chest.
Fuck.If I had a heart attack in the middle of the Eiffel Tower while on a call with Christian, I’d never hear the end of it.
“Your call, Russo.” His voice turned impatient. “What’s our next move?”
He didn’t say it, but I heard the warning in his voice. He knew exactly why I was hesitating, and he was less than impressed.