Page 110 of His Forced Irish Mafia Bride

“Peter Earl…” Maeve said quietly.

She said it like she was checking whether the name still belonged to the same man she’d been building in her head from fragments and old reports.

“Authorities further confirmed that the arrest followed a coordinated surveillance operation across multiple transit points, after irregular financial movements and flagged cargo activity triggered an international alert.”

The screen showed stacked files, blurred documents, and airport footage cut too fast to fully follow.

“Investigators believe the seizure forms part of a wider smuggling network operating through European logistics corridors, though Earl’s legal team maintains that he’s being wrongfully targeted and had no operational knowledge of the shipment.”

Maeve’s grip on the remote loosened slightly. I noticed the way she was processing it in real time as the anchor’s voice stayed steady, almost too steady.

“Earl is currently in custody awaiting formal charges, with prosecutors expected to present further evidence in the coming days. Officials have not ruled out additional arrests connected to the case.”

Maeve finally lowered the remote onto her lap. The room stayed quiet for a moment after the report moved on.

She didn’t look at me immediately, but I already knew what she was going to ask.

The anchor’s voice changed slightly. “Meanwhile, in a separate development, Gabrielle De Succa has also been taken into custody following new evidence submitted by international investigators.”

Maeve stopped moving completely.

The camera cut to footage outside a police facility. Flashing lights. Officers guiding someone out of a vehicle. The face was partially covered, but not enough to prevent recognition.

Maeve leaned forward slightly. The anchor continued, “Authorities state that Ms. De Succa is now facing renewed scrutiny in relation to the death of her late husband, the South African royal figure Totsi Makiba, known informally as the Prince of Durban.”

Maeve turned her head toward me slowly, but I didn’t interrupt the report.

“The case, previously ruled inconclusive, has been reopened after forensic inconsistencies were allegedly uncovered in the original investigation.”

Maeve’s eyes flicked back to the screen.

“South African authorities have formally requested extradition. Officials there argue that Ms. De Succa should be returned to face prosecution under South African jurisdiction, where penalties for the charges in question may include life imprisonment.”

“Gabrielle…” Maeve said it like she was trying to match the face on the screen to someone she couldn’t place at first. The television cut briefly to courtroom sketches. Gabrielle in front of a judge, expression unreadable, posture steady despite the situation.

Maeve turned fully toward me. The anchor was still talking in the background, but she was no longer listening to them.

“You had a hand in this,” she said. It wasn’t really a question.

I stayed where I was, near the counter, hands relaxed, like nothing on the screen was important. Maeve held my gaze. Her voice came again, quieter this time, but sharper.

“Peter Earl. Gabrielle. All of them. Did you do something?”

I looked at her for a moment before answering. “I might have had a pinky in it.”

She blinked once. “What does that even mean?”

“It means I didn’t need a full hand.”

Maeve’s expression shifted like she was recalculating what kind of person was standing in front of her. She stood up slowly from the sofa.

“You’re saying you had something to do with their arrests.”

“They were already exposed,” I said. “I just made sure they didn’t disappear quietly.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “And you’re going to keep going until the others are dealt with, too?”

I answered her without changing tone. “Yes.” A pause. Then I added, calm and certain, “They won’t escape.”