Chapter 262

Chapter 262 #Chapter 10 Crime & Punishment

Ella

The next day, I went to work with conviction set in my heart. I wouldn’t let this run-in with the

mafia hold me back. If anything, it would only serve to fuel me.

But the moment my office door swung open, I knew something was wrong. Mr. Henderson’s

face was an unnerving shade of red, and his eyes shot daggers at me. It seemed the walls had

ears, and the news of my recent altercation with Logan had already reached him.

“Ella,” he started, his voice dripping with restrained fury, “did you really tear up a contract with

one of the most influential clients this firm has ever had?” I squared my shoulders and met his

gaze directly. “Yes, Mr. Henderson, I did.”

Mr. Henderson drew in a long, sharp breath that sounded like a hiss. “And why, pray tell, did

you do that?”

“Because Logan Barrett is a member of the mafia, sir.”

Just then, Mr. Henderson leaned forward, his palms flat on the desk. “Do you have any idea of

the penalty for breaching that contract? We can’t afford such an astronomical amount,

especially not for a rookie like you!”

My chin lifted defiantly. “I’ll pay the penalty. Whatever it is.”

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “That penalty, Miss Morgan, is substantial. Far beyond what I think

you can afford. Although, I suppose you expect your daddy to take care of it for you.”

I took a deep breath, even as my insides churned with anxiety. “I’ll figure it out on my own. But I

couldn’t-I wouldn’t-be part of that contract.”

Mr. Henderson’s eyes searched mine. “Why did you do it, Ella? Why risk everything?”

“I didn’t come here to work for the Mafia,” I responded, my voice unwavering. “I came to fight against

them. I can’t-and I won’t-be their puppet.”

He sighed, taking his glasses off and passing a hand over his weary face. “You’re a halfway decent

rookie lawyer, Ella, but maybe your family has shielded you too much. You have these… naive ideas of

challenging the Mafia’s grasp in this city.”

I frowned, struggling to understand what Mr. Henderson was getting at. “What do you mean?”

He hesitated for a moment, and then his voice dropped lower. “Our firm, Ella… We pay a tribute to

Logan’s group every year. It ensures the smooth operation of our business within the city.”

I felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me. “What? Why would you-”

“Do you think we have a choice?!” he snapped, his earlier restraint melting away. “It’s the cost of doing

business here. You were hoping to take on the Mafia, but the reality is they’re everywhere. Even here,

in this very room.”

It was like a punch to my gut. The realization that the very system I had hoped to cleanse was willingly

in bed with the enemy left me feeling sick. I was battling a leviathan, and I had just seen its true size.

He sighed again, softer this time. “I’m sorry, Ella. We can’t keep you here. As much as I believe in what

you’re trying to do, it’s too dangerous. Not just for you, but for all of us.”

Tears stung my eyes, not from sadness but from a fiery rage. I was angry at the system, at the mafia,

and at myself for thinking I could make a difference.

I gathered my belongings, not a single colleague daring to meet my eyes or offer words of consolation.

The murmur of whispers and hushed conversations in the office hinted that they knew of my so-called

‘indiscretion’.

Stepping out onto the streets, a torrent of emotions engulfed me. Panic, anger, frustration -all at once.

The city I had come to hoping to make a difference in seemed like a giant puzzle with pieces that didn’t

fit.

My phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts. The screen showed Moana calling, her name

accompanied by a picture of her, Edrick, and my sister, Daisy. Swiping to answer, their caring voices

immediately filled the void.

“Hey, love. How was your day?” Moana asked cheerfully, clearly unaware of the storm brewing inside

me.

I could hear the sounds of plates and silverware clinking, water running, and various voices. I

recognized the voices of our maids, Lily and Amy, and our elderly housekeeper, Selina-more of a live-in

grandmother at this point, as she was getting too old these days to do as much as she used to-in the

background. They were in the kitchen, probably preparing dinner.

“It was-It was-” I began, but my voice faltered. A sob choked in my throat, and tears rolled down my

cheeks, each drop carrying a piece of my shattered dream.

“Ella?” Moana’s voice turned worried. “Are you okay?”

I tried to respond, but words eluded me. Just then, my dad’s deeper tone replaced Moana’s. “Ella, talk

to us. What happened?” Mustering as much strength as I could, I responded. “I’m okay, dad. Just… It

was a rough day, that’s all.”

There was a pause. I could hear my dad’s voice: “I knew that goddamn dump of a city would crush her

spirit.”

“Edrick, calm down,” Moana replied. Then, my dad spoke into the phone again. “Look, Ella, you really

should come home. Our city has some great law firms. One of my Alpha friends even has his own.

Maybe you could-”

“I’m not coming back,” I interrupted, even as doubts clouded my mind. “At least not now. I need to

figure out my path here.”

Just then, I heard a familiar voice. “Is that Ella?” It was Daisy. I recognized her small voice

immediately. She was fifteen now, but in my eyes, she was still a baby. “Yes, sweetie,” Moana

said, her voice muffled, no doubt by her hand covering the receiver. “But she’s not ”

“Put her on,” I murmured, wiping my tears away. “I want to talk to her.”

A few moments later, my little sister’s voice was echoing through the phone. The sounds of the

kitchen faded, and I could tell that she was walking away from our parents-probably to their

dismay.

“Hey, Ella,” she said, sounding as if she was smiling. “Remember that boy I told you about?”

“Yeah,” I replied, smiling myself. “Erik? The one you had a crush on?”

“Mhm.” She paused, then lowered her voice. “He asked me to the dance.”

I couldn’t help but grin. “That’s great, little sis!” I exclaimed, my eyes filling now with tears of

happiness rather than sadness. “Be careful, though. Okay?”

Daisy didn’t respond for a moment. She was silent.

“Daisy?” I called out. Finally, she cleared her throat. “Mom and dad keep worrying about you,”

she said quietly. “But I’m not worried. I keep reminding them about that one time that you beat

up that bully when we were in school. Remember?”

I had to laugh. “Yeah. She kept tripping you. You got a black eye from falling in the hallway.

Man, it felt good to deck that little snot in the face.”

Daisy laughed, too. “You got in soooo much trouble. Mom and dad grounded you for at month.”

Our voices dissolved into laughter. Soon, I had almost entirely forgotten about my pain. We

finally hung up with a promise from each of us to stay safe and keep our heads up.

But my voice lacked the conviction it once had. Could I really fight this battle alone? Would the

weight of the city’s corruption crush me? Or, in this darkness, would I find a way to shine? Only

time would tell.