Page 152 of Falling for the Grump Billionaire

But then Eva freezes, her finger hovering over a document. “Wait,” she says, her voice sharp.

Adrian and I move closer as she points to a name buried in the middle of a financial transfer log: Gideon Marks.

“He’s one of Reyes’s top operatives,” Adrian explains. “Handles the dirty work—bribes, cover-ups, and disappearing evidence.”

Eva’s eyes narrow as she taps the page. “There’s a note here about a shipment leaving from Harbor Springs. If Gideon’s tied to this, it could be our way in.”

Adrian pulls up his tablet, his fingers flying across the screen. “I’ll track his movements. If we can intercept him, we might get access to Reyes’s next move.”

My gaze shifts to Eva, who is already pulling out her phone to capture photos of the evidence. “Are you ready for this?” I ask, my tone softer than usual.

She meets my eyes, her expression unyielding. “I’ve been ready since the moment Reyes targeted Lena.”

The coordinates Adrian provides lead to an industrial dock just outside the city. The air smells of salt and diesel, the faint hum of machinery echoing through the night.

Adrian, Eva, and I wait in the shadows, our breaths barely audible as we watch the movement below. Men in dark uniforms load unmarked crates onto a cargo ship, their movements precise and efficient.

“There,” Adrian whispers, nodding toward a man in a tailored suit overseeing the operation.

“Gideon Marks,” I confirm, my pulse quickening.

Eva crouches beside me, her phone ready to capture everything. “We need to know what’s in those crates.”

Adrian glances at me. “I can access the ship’s manifest, but I’ll need time. Can you create a diversion?”

I nod, already scanning the dock for an opportunity. “Give me five minutes.”

Before Eva can protest, I slip away, moving silently between the stacked containers. My target is clear—a forklift left unattended near the edge of the dock.

The sound of metal crashing against concrete shatters the quiet night, sending the workers scrambling. A forklift lies tipped on its side, its cargo spilled across the ground.

“Go,” I hiss into the comms, knowing Adrian and Eva will use the chaos to their advantage.

From my vantage point, I see Adrian slip onto the ship while Eva edges closer to the crates. My heart pounds as I watch her crouch behind a stack of barrels, her phone capturing every detail.

But then, Gideon’s voice cuts through the commotion. “Lock it down!” he barks, his eyes scanning the dock.

I press deeper into the shadows, my hand instinctively brushing the weapon at my side. If Gideon spots Eva or Adrian, this could turn deadly fast.

Adrian’s voice crackles through the earpiece. “I’ve got it. The shipment is labeled as industrial equipment, but it’s a front. The real cargo is weapons-grade material.”

Eva’s gasp is barely audible. “He’s moving weapons?”

“Not just weapons,” Adrian replies. “Explosives. Enough to level a city block.”

My blood runs cold as the weight of his words sinks in. “We need to shut this down. Now.”

Adrian hesitates. “I can disable the ship’s engines, but we’ll need to move fast. Once they realize what we’re doing, they’ll come for us.”

The next moments blur together in a flurry of movement. Eva and Adrian work to disable the ship while I keep watch, my senses on high alert.

But just as the last of the engines powers down, a voice echoes through the night.

“Well, well,” Gideon says, stepping into the light. His gun is trained on Eva, a smirk curling his lips. “Did you really think you could outsmart us?”

My weapon is already in my hand, my aim steady. “Let her go,” I growl.

Gideon chuckles, shaking his head. “You’re in over your head, Kane. This isn’t a game you can win.”

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