Page 89 of Babies for the Christmas Grump

He steps forward, his voice growing louder, his eyes colder. “Evie was too sentimental, too stubborn to see that. But me? I saw the numbers. I saw the opportunity.”

“Shut the hell up,” I snap, my patience thinning. “Don’t you dare talk about her like that. She trusted you.”

His expression darkens, and he leans in, the space between us filled with tension. “Trust? Trust is for fools, Ryder. People like her… like you… you don’t know how the real world works. I did what had to be done to save my own ass. She couldn’t run that hotel, couldn’t handle the burden. And now look at it… it’s barely holding together. You really think you can save it?”

The anger roars through me, but I force myself to stay calm. My fists are tight at my sides. “You think you’re untouchable, huh? That nobody can stop you? You’re wrong, Vincent. This is where it ends. You’re not walking away from this.”

Lang’s face twists into a sneer, and I can see the raw hatred behind his carefully constructed mask. His eyes flash with a dangerous gleam, and I know he’s about to make a move.

“You’re a fool,” he spits, his voice dripping with venom. “You think this is over? This isn’t just about money. This is about power, and you’ll never have it. Not like me.”

The crowd around us is watching now, their whispers growing louder. A few people have pulled out their phones, probably recording the scene. But it’s too late for Vincent. The truth’s already out.

“I don’t care what you think, Lang,” I say, my voice sharp, but now there’s a finality in it. “I’m bringing you down. And I’m starting right here.”

I turn to walk away, my mind racing, knowing that this confrontation is far from finished. But tonight, I’ve taken the first step toward ending it.

And Lang? He’s no longer the untouchable man he once was.

By the time I get back to my apartment, I’m furious. No, furious doesn’t even begin to cover it. I’m beyond livid.

The confrontation with Lang, the way he sneered and acted as if he were the one in control. It’s eating me alive.

I pace across my living room, hands shoved in my pockets, jaw clenched so tight I can hear the tension in my teeth. The adrenaline that’s been fueling me for hours is finally starting to wear off, and all that’s left is what I’ve uncovered and what’s still to come.

I should’ve known. I should’ve seen it sooner. Evie, trusting that bastard.

All those years of friendship. She had no idea what he was doing behind her back. But I do. I know, and I can’t just let this go.

Evie trusted me. She trusted me to fix things, to take care of the hotel, to protect it in her absence. And I’m damn well going to do that, no matter how messy it gets.

But how do I handle this? How do I take down Vincent Lang, someone who’s been playing everyone around him for years, without making it worse?

I don’t even know where to start. All I have are false invoices, but I have no clue where the money is being hidden, or if it was even him.

It’s not enough to ruin him, not yet. Not when he could somehow turn this around on Evie if he wanted.

The anger churns in my gut, but it’s mixed with something colder. It’s the reality that I can’t just brute force my way through this.

I can’t just go in with my fists and take him out. That’s not how this works.

I stop pacing and stand in front of the window, looking out over the city. The lights twinkle below me, mocking my frustration.

The world keeps turning, unaware of the war that’s brewing right beneath its surface.

Vincent Lang doesn’t deserve the life he’s built. He doesn’t deserve to walk away free after everything he’s done.

My phone buzzes on the coffee table, snapping me out of my thoughts. I grab it without thinking, knowing exactly who it is.

Marco.

“What do you have?” I don’t bother with pleasantries. I just need answers.

“Ryder,” Marco says, his voice low. “I found more. A lot more.”

I feel the muscles in my neck tense. “What do you mean, more?”

“There’s a shell company he’s been funneling money into for years. It’s got his name on it, but it’s buried deep, off the grid. And there’s another account. This one’s got a few million in it. It’s under an alias, but I’ve traced it back to Lang’s real estate dealings. He’s been buying property under false names, using hotel money as leverage.”