Chapter 10 - The Broken Altar
By midnight, the shop was crawling with uniform police officers, forensic photographers, and detectives.
Graham had been dragged out on a stretcher, handcuffed and humiliated, while a small crowd of curious neighborhood onlookers filmed the entire spectacle on their phones. His mother, Evelyn, had arrived twenty minutes later in a panic, only to be served with a federal subpoena right on my sidewalk by Marcus Kane’s corporate attorneys, who had descended like vultures.
Lydia had been arrested at her apartment an hour ago, weeping as officers led her away for conspiracy and burglary charges.
The nightmare was finally dismantling itself, piece by piece.
Around one in the morning, the last squad car pulled away. Bellamy Blooms was quiet again, save for the hum of the floral cooler and the steady drip of rain outside.
I sat on a wooden stool behind the counter, wrapped in a large wool blanket that an EMT had handed me hours ago. I was still wearing the bodice of my wedding dress, though I had cut away the heavy, ruined train with my shears so I could walk freely.
A paper cup of hot black coffee sat steaming beside my hand.
Thomas Vance stepped back inside, closing the shop door behind him. He looked exhausted, the cut on his cheek dark and swollen, his tie gone, but his presence was as commanding as ever.
"The police have everything they need," Thomas said, leaning against the counter across from me. "Graham’s bail has been set at two million dollars. Since his family's accounts are frozen, he won't be walking out of central booking anytime soon."
"And Marcus Kane?" I asked, sipping the bitter coffee.
"Kane got his answers. The debt Graham owed him will be settled through the liquidation of the Vale family’s commercial holdings," Thomas replied. A faint, genuine smile crossed his face. "And Kane’s development project on this block has been officially scrapped. Your land patent made it dead on arrival."
I let out a long, ragged breath, feeling the tension drain out of muscles I didn't even know I had been clenching.
"So... you're done here," I said, looking up at him.
"My contract was to locate the missing capital and secure the debtor," Thomas said quietly. "Technically, yes. My job is done."
A sudden, sharp pang of emptiness tightened my chest. It felt absurd—I had met this man eight hours ago while tearing sweet peas apart at my ruined wedding. Yet he had stood by me through gunshots, betrayal, and violence without flinching once.
"Thank you, Thomas," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "You didn't have to follow me here from the hotel. You could have caught Graham at the airport."
"I saw you in that ballroom, June," Thomas said, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that made the air between us warm. "You were carrying chairs in a three-thousand-dollar gown, making sure six elderly strangers felt loved while your entire world was crumbling around you. I’ve spent ten years hunting down greedy, selfish people. It’s been a very long time since I saw someone truly decent."
He reached across the counter, his thumb gently brushing a smudge of soot from my cheek. His touch sent a jolt of electricity straight down my spine.
"You're not a victim, June Bellamy," he said softly. "You're a force of nature."
I leaned into his touch for half a second before he slowly pulled his hand back, as if remembering himself.
"I should let you get some rest," he said, clearing his throat and checking his watch. "You’ve had a... eventful wedding day."
"The worst wedding in city history, probably," I laughed, a real, genuine laugh that felt wonderful on my tongue.
Thomas turned toward the door, his hand resting on the brass handle.
"Thomas?" I called out.
He stopped, glancing back over his shoulder. "Yes?"
"If you ever need flowers... or someone to split a celebratory drink with... you know where to find me."
The smile that touched his lips this time reached all the way to his gray eyes. "I’ll hold you to that, June."
May you like
He opened the door, stepped out into the night, and I locked the deadbolt behind him, finally feeling the sweet, glorious embrace of safety.
***
