Wade checked into the Riverside Hotel using cash, a habit from his youth that his legitimate success had never quite erased. From his room on the fifth floor, he had a clear view of his house three miles away, nestled in the hills like a beacon of betrayal.
He called his lawyer, Oliver Doyle, who owed Wade more favors than either man could count. Oliver had been a struggling public defender when Wade’s first shop was vandalized by local gang members. Wade had personally hunted down every one of them, and a message he’d delivered had been clear enough that Oliver never had to worry about his family’s safety again.
Oliver, I need surveillance equipment. Professional grade. And I need it delivered to my hotel room within two hours.
Wade, it’s almost midnight. Two hours, Oliver. And I need complete documentation on Patrick Mullins.
Employment history. Criminal record. Financial statements.
Known associates. Everything. The silence on the other end stretched long enough for Wade to hear Oliver’s ethical concerns wrestling with his debt of gratitude.
Gratitude won. I’ll make some calls. While waiting, Wade sat by the window and watched his house through a pair of binoculars he’d retrieved from his car.
At 1247 a.m., a figure emerged from the side door. His side door. The one only family was supposed to use.
Even from his distance, Wade could make out Patrick’s distinctive swagger. The way he moved like he owned whatever space he occupied. Patrick was carrying something.
A bag. A bag that looked suspiciously like the emergency cash Stash Wade kept in his study. Wade’s phone buzzed with a text from Jessica, staying at Gayle’s tonight.
She’s having a hard time. Love you. He didn’t respond.
Oliver arrived personally at 2.15 a.m., carrying a case that looked like it belonged to a private investigator. GPS trackers, audio surveillance, micro cameras, and a complete digital file on your friend Mullins. He paused.
Wade, whatever you’re thinking of doing. I’m thinking of protecting what’s mine. The legal system.
The legal system protects people like them. Wade’s voice was flat, emotionless. I protect people like me.
Oliver left without another word. And Wade spent the next hour studying Patrick Mullins life like a general studying enemy territory. The man was a textbook narcissist with a long history of seducing married women, draining their bank accounts and disappearing before consequences could catch up.
He’d done it in three different states, always staying just on the right side of criminal charges. But Patrick had made a crucial error this time. He’d chosen Wade Wu’s wife.
Wade began with the surveillance equipment, planning entry points and camera angles. But as he studied Patrick’s pattern of behavior, a much more elegant plan began to form. Patrick wasn’t just a thief.
He was predictable. He followed the same playbook every time. Seduce the wife, gain access to finances, create dependency, then extract everything possible before moving on.
The pattern suggested Patrick would want to completely destroy Wade’s life, not just rob him. That meant this wasn’t just about money. It was about power, humiliation, the complete conquest of another man’s world.
Which meant Patrick would get careless because he’d done this before and never faced real consequences. Wade smiled for the first time since reading the officer’s note. Patrick Mullins had no idea what real consequences looked like.
By dawn, Wade had a preliminary plan. He would give Patrick exactly what he wanted, complete access to Wade’s world. But like a spider offering its web to a fly, that access would become a trap.
Wade’s phone rang. Jessica. Hi honey.
How did your emergency go? Fine. Just a problem with the Morrison contract. The lie came easily.
How’s Gail? Better. Listen, I might need to stay another night or two. She’s really struggling.
Of course. Take care of your sister. After hanging up, Wade looked up Gail McIntosh’s phone number.
Time to test just how elaborate Jessica’s deception was. Gail, it’s Wade. I just wanted to check on you and make sure you’re okay.
The confusion in Gail’s voice was answer enough. She was fine, hadn’t seen Jessica in two weeks, and had no idea what Wade was talking about. Wade thanked her and hung up, adding another lie to his mental ledger.
Jessica hadn’t just betrayed him. She’d crafted an entire alternate reality to do it. The sister visits.
The work emergencies. The girl’s weekends. How much of his wife’s life had been fiction.
But Wade had grown up on the streets before building his empire. And one thing the streets had taught him was that people who lived in fantasies died when reality came calling. It was time to introduce Patrick and Jessica to reality…
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