Winning Back His Ex's Wife's Broken Heart by Hayley

Chapter 98

Richard pov.

Facing the network had been a long time coming. Sarah and I stood outside a grand, old building where the leaders had gathered.

Holding the incriminating evidence we'd collected over months, I took a deep breath. I glanced at Sarah, her eyes narrowed with determination, her chin set in that way that told me she wasn't backing down.

She'd come so far, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride mixed with the fear of what we were walking into. But this was our only shot at freedom.

"Ready?" I asked though it was more for me than for her.

She nodded. "More than ready."

Inside, the room was crowded with the high-ranking figures of the network. Their stares held nothing but cold, steely indifference, like they were sizing us up, wondering what two individuals thought they could do against them. But we had something they didn't: proof, cold and solid, that could bring down every last one of them.

The leader, a man with silver hair and a smug smile, eyed us with disdain. "Well, Richard, you wanted an audience with us. Let's hear it, then. But I should warn you, we don't take kindly to empty threats."

"Good thing we're not here to threaten," I said, reaching into my bag and pulling out a thick folder.

"We're here to offer you a way out. For everyone here." I made sure to meet his gaze, watching as his smile slipped slightly.

He eyed the folder suspiciously. "What's this?"

"Proof," I replied, laying the folder on the table and flipping it open. "Every illegal transaction, every name involved, and all the payments that tie back to each of you."

they scanned the documents. The color seemed to drain

were men and women who thrived in the shadows, who lived to keep secrets hidden. And

sharp and trembling. But I caught the fear in her

giving you a choice. Let us walk away-no threats, no tricks, no vendettas. Or, we hand over every

murmur rippled through the room, and I could almost see them calculating the costs. They'd lose

harden. They weren't just scared-they were

to keep his composure. "This doesn't end here. You can't just walk away

tone ice-cold. "You'll let us walk away because you don't have a choice. And you're going to

knew it. I could almost see them weighing their options, but no

doubt, and we'd made sure to sow a few seeds of doubt about their loyalty to one

protect themselves. It wouldn't take much, would it? Just one slip-up, and everything falls apart." The tension in the room spiked. They looked at each other, and I knew then

had been the final piece of our plan. They'd never fully trust one another again, and

You can have your freedom. But don't think you've won, Richard. People

"Then consider this our way of helping you forget. Stay out of our lives, and we won't

the leaders behind us more powerful than

we stepped into the cool night air, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.

face. She was staring straight ahead, her jaw tight, and I could tell that, despite the victory, there

gaze still distant. "She won't let this go, you know. She's going to

"I'll handle her. I'll make sure she

her face flushed with anger. "So, you think you've won, Richard? You think

You tried everything-manipulation, lies, threats. And look where it got you. Alone. I'm warning you, don't try anything else. Sarah and I... we're done with you." She scoffed, her eyes flashing. "Done with me? You can't just decide that, Richard. I made you. I know