A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 989

The line went dead.

Standing in his study, Yardley chain-smoked, his mind racing as Starla's ultimatum echoed in his ears.

By his fifth cigarette, he abruptly crushed it out and stood up.

"Garret!"

His right-hand man stepped in. "Sir? Are we heading to the Cyrus Sea?" The intel had just confirmed Herbert's departure, so they assumed the boss wanted to track down his sister, too.

"To hell with the Cyrus Sea!" Yardley barked. "Prep a team. We're breaking into Licht's study tonight."

He didn't know for a fact if Starla was telling the truth. But he had been hunting that map for years. Even if the odds were one in a million, he couldn't let the opportunity slip through his fingers.

...

Back at Sylvan Vale.

Starla received word of Yardley's sudden change in trajectory almost immediately. When she confirmed he wasn't heading for the Cyrus Sea like Herbert, a genuine smile spread across her face.

"Ha. In the end, greed always wins."

The intel about the map had been a complete fabrication. She had thrown it out there on a whim, just to see if she could dangle a carrot big enough to pull Yardley away from protecting Licht.

The result had wildly exceeded her expectations. Never underestimate a man ruled by ambition—he will abandon absolutely anything if the prize is shiny enough.

Taking a deep breath, Starla felt a dark sense of satisfaction.

She wanted to see the look on that old bastard's face when his empire crumbled. More importantly, she wanted to watch him die.

Romy balked. "Wait, what? I really don't think that's a good idea. If you go, you might..."

"Might drag your boss down?" Starla finished, her tone challenging.

"I didn't say that!" Romy protested, though that was exactly what she was thinking. Starla possessed a terrifyingly brilliant mind for strategy, but in a live-fire combat zone, she was a sitting duck.

"You can keep me hidden in the shadows, can't you?" Starla asked smoothly. She had no intention of storming the front lines. She knew her physical limitations perfectly well. If Herbert and Yardley hadn't been lured away, she wouldn't have dared risk it. But with Amos focusing his entire arsenal solely on Licht, the perimeter would be secure enough for her to observe safely from a distance.

"You are giving me way too much credit," Romy muttered.