Page 25 of His Forever

Murphy, never one to let things get too heavy, whistled low. “Well, damn. Guy Maranga keeping tabs on love lives. Didn’t see that one coming.”

Apollo, however, wasn’t in the mood for jokes. He leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees and his eyes bore into mine. “So what did Candace do when Guy turned her down? I mean, I’m guessing she didn’t just walk away and leave things at that.”

I shifted my weight, leaning against the desk for support. “No, she didn’t. After that, she started poking around more. She never let it go. She knew she needed leverage if she was going to get anywhere, but Guy... well, he wasn’t someone you could manipulate easily.”

Princeton scoffed. “No shit. That woman’s been circling like a vulture ever since. And now she’s after you.”

“Why not just take her out?” Murphy asked bluntly. “I mean, if she’s this much of a problem–”

“It’s not that simple,” I cut in. “Candace isn’t stupid. She’s made alliances and gathered resources. She’s determined to take each of you down, with Leo being the final blow. When she does that, she’s going to take over the Banachi empire, and then I’m assuming she’ll think she can come after the Maranga empire. I’m not going to let that happen.”

The room was quiet again, everyone absorbing what I’d said. It wasn’t just about survival anymore—it was about power, control, and how I intended to wield it.

Apollo rubbed a hand over his face, his patience clearly wearing thin. “So what’s the plan here, Brynn? You took Leo for a reason and made it known to him who you are. What do you want us for?”

I straightened up, feeling the shift in the room. This was the moment I’d been working toward. The reason I had to comeclean about all of this. “Guy is going to reach out to her. Let her know he’s changed his mind about working with her.”

Leo’s expression darkened at the mention of his name, but he remained silent, waiting for me to finish.

Murphy raised his hand. “Guy is dead,” he pointed out.

“The only people who know Guy is dead are in this room or have been sworn to silence,” I replied.

“They must have been threatened with consequences, too,” Creed muttered.

“Are they always smartasses?” I asked Leo.

Leo nodded. “Yes, but it seems to be getting worse lately.”

“Why haven’t you just taken Candace out before now?” Apollo asked, leaning forward, his gaze hard. “One shot to the head, and she’s out of all our hair.”

I could feel the tension in the room rise, the weight of the question pressing against me. It wasn’t the first time someone had suggested it, and I doubted it would be the last. But it wasn’t that simple.

“Because our intel in the past never pointed to her coming after the Marangas,” I explained, keeping my voice steady. “Guy was ruthless, but he was also smart. He wasn’t going to go after someone who wasn’t hurting him.”

Leo, who had been quietly listening, sat up a bit straighter, his eyes narrowing. “So, Guy would have pretty much watched Candace tick us off one by one and wouldn’t have done anything if there wasn’t a direct threat to the Maranga empire?”

I met his gaze, knowing the truth wasn’t what they wanted to hear. “Yes,” I said simply.

“Jesus,” Murphy sighed, running a hand through his hair. “That’s cold, even for Guy.”

“While Guy was alive,” I continued, “Candace and Brandt were not a threat to anyone. They were erratic and inconsistent.Back then, it didn’t even cross Candace’s mind to take you guys out to get to the Marangas.”

“And the reason it did cross her mind?” Apollo asked, his voice tight.

I nodded. “Because you killed Brandt. As much as I hate to admit it, Candace is not dumb. She realized that if she took you out, she could seize control of your empire—and then come for what was left of Guy’s.”

“Exactly,” Leo added, his tone grim. “Brandt was the plug, and once he was gone, Candace had nothing holding her back.”

“That’s why I don’t want any of that to happen,” I said, my voice firm, letting the severity of the situation settle over the room. “We can’t let her finish what she’s started.”

“So fucking kill her!” Creed called out, his voice sharp and impatient. His bluntness was nothing new, but it hit harder in moments like this.

I turned my gaze on him, steady and unwavering. “Why haven’tyouguys taken her out yet?”

That shut Creed up. His mouth opened slightly, but no words came. He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms as if he realized the weight of his own inaction.

Apollo grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. “Because she’s slippery as fuck and two steps ahead of us.”

---