chapter 18: A facade of elegance

Cassidy and Aaron arrived at the heart of Gracetown, each grappling with the unsettling revelations from the previous night. In the light of day, their ambience seemed deceptively peaceful, but Cassidy could not get her mind off the dark truths lurking just beneath the town's charming exterior. Every building, every familiar face, now felt like it concealed secrets, and they had barely begun to uncover them.

As they walked towards the courthouse,where they were hoping to look more into the accounts and connections that Jenna told them about. Cassidy glanced at Aaron, her thoughts heavy with concern. "If this network really involves local government officials, we're putting everything on the line by coming here," she whispered, her voice tight with anxiety.

Aaron flashed a smirk, though his eyes remained sharp. "That's the excitement of it, right? They don't expect us to show our faces here,but here we are."

With determination, they entered the courthouse, deliberately avoiding eye contact with the officials milling about. They knew the records they sought were on the third floor, where restricted files related to city accounts and historical archives were stored. However, the courthouse's guarded atmosphere meant they needed to tread carefully.

As they approached the stairs, Cassidy spotted a group engaged in a low conversation, including Gracetown's mayor, Ellen Barker—a woman she had always respected for her supposed integrity and dedication to transparency. A knot formed in Cassidy's stomach as she overheard fragments of their discussion.

"We can't afford any more exposure," Barker said sharply. "Our reputation is all we have left, and I can't let this town to fall apart because of a few unfininshed obligations."

One of the men nodded, his face raddled and pale. "We've addressed the most urgent issues. Lawson was a... miscalculation, but it's manageable."

Cassidy's heart raced. She and Aaron quietly made their way past the group and ascended the stairs, but her mind was reeling from what she had just overheard. Mayor Barker was more entangled in this than they had anticipated, and Lawson's situation was far from resolved.

At the third-floor archive, Aaron quietly worked on a lock-picking kit he had brought with him. In just a few seconds, the door clicked open, and they sneaked inside.

Inside, rows of filing cabinets filled the walls, each one packed with years of records. Aaron headed straight for the cabinet labeled "Town Expenditures," while Cassidy rummaged through boxes on the shelves, her fingers gliding over documents that carried the scent of dust and hidden truths.

Before long, she discovered a file labeled "Special Allocations," and her heart raced as she skimmed through the contents. It detailed payments to shell companies, fake charities, and "consulting fees" that seemed outrageously high for the services they supposedly provided.

Afterwards,Cassidy pulled out a particularly questionable file from the cabinet, she heard sounds of footsteps in the hallway and froze. She signaled Aaron, who quickly slipped into the shadows beside her.

A familiar voice echoed into the room—a voice Cassidy recognized instantly. The deliberate walking pace,the subtle hint of a limp,no doubt, it was Sheriff Greyson!

She'd always heard her name used along his, '_Greyson' following her like a shadow the past few years,since she went undercover. The two of them sharing the last name was much of an unexpected coincidence. She couldn't tell if it was a connection,or just a reminder of the double-edged life she was currently living.

The tension in the room built up as Greyson's insidious eyes scanned the hallway. For a moment,Cassidy's heart stopped. She didn't want to believe that Greyson was also involved in all of these twisted discoveries. She tried attaching reason to him being there- perhaps he was just doing his job,but she couldn't stop herself from being suspicious.

Then immediately,Greyson spoke,confirming her suspicions and proving her fear!

"Make sure this room stays off-limits to anyone with no clearance,"Greyson instructed. "And if anyone, i mean anyone, especially Sheriff Cassidy tries to access these files, you alert me. Immediately."

Cassidy held her breath, She felt shock and betrayal swelling in her chest. Greyson had warned her against this investigation, but she never imagined he would be so deeply involved. His loyalty to the law, his mentorship—it had all been a facade.

Aaron's hand tightened on her shoulder, pulling her back to the present. They waited until the footsteps faded away, and then, without a word, he gestured for them to leave, gripping the files they had gathered.

Once outside, Cassidy's mind raced as she tried to piece together the extent of the conspiracy. "What is really going on, I mean Greyson...Barker… how many others are caught up in this?" she whispered.

Aaron gritted his teeth. "It's a web, Cassidy. These people don't just collaborate—they're tied together by secrets. And if they're willing to eliminate threats like Lawson, then we could be next."

They rushed back to her car, the weight of their discoveries pressing heavily between them. As they drove away, Cassidy couldn't shake off the sting of Greyson's betrayal. She had respected him, trusted him even when he had tried to warn her off.

When they got to Aaron's apartment, Cassidy collapsed onto the couch, releasing a shaky breath. "This is bigger than us. If we keep digging, they'll come after us with everything they have."

Aaron settled beside her, his gaze steady and intense. "We expose them, Cassidy. That is how we retaliate. No matter how deep this runs, we have to find a way to bring them down."

She nodded slowly, a glimmer of hope breaking through her fatigue. "Then we start with these files," she said, reaching for the documents they had gathered. "We need to identify a weak link."

They spent hours sifting through papers and receipts, making connections and pinpointing key players. Each revelation only deepened their horror. Payments to private security firms, records of "property acquisitions" in areas where disappearances had happened—everything pointed to a network far more extensive than they had imagined.

Finally, Cassidy came across a name that made her freeze.

"Look at this," she whispered, showing Aaron a contract signed by none other than her own mother. Her signature was hastily written next to a company name Cassidy didn't recognize.

Aaron's expression turned serious. "Cassidy, your mother is also involved!?"

Cassidy shook her head, her chest was swirling with disbelief and shock. "No. This…I know that this can't be right. My mother,No! My mother wasn't… she would never…"

But the evidence was undeniable, black ink on white paper, and her mother's name was tied to one of the town's most dubious transactions. Cassidy's hands trembled as the innuendo settled in.

She had lost her father to this network. And now, her mother's name was caught up in it too.

Aaron's hand rested warmly on her shoulder. "Hey. We don't know the whole story yet. This could be forged—maybe they're using her name. She might be a scapegoat.

Cassidy nodded, though disbelief lingered in her mind. "I have to confront her. I need to know the truth."

Aaron hesitated for a moment, then agreed. "Then let's go."

As they drove toward her mother's house, Cassidy's thoughts raced with possibilities. If her mother was involved in any way, if she had a role in the horrors Cassidy had uncovered… she wasn't sure if she would be strong enough to handle it.

Upon arrival, Cassidy felt a knot form in her stomach as she spotted her mother on the porch, her expression was unclear.

Her mother greeted them with a calm, almost abject voice. "I expected you to show up at a point. "I knew you'd come. Although, a part of me hoped you wouldn't, but I suppose it was inevitable."

Cassidy's voice trembled. "I found your name, Mom. In the files. You're… you're part of this?"

Her mother's face softened, a strange, sorrowful smile appearing. "It's not what you think, Cassidy. I did what I had to do to keep you safe."

"Safe?" Cassidy echoed, disgust and turmoil battling within her. "You were involved in this network?"

Her mother's gaze remained steady. "There are things you don't understand, Cassidy. Things I never wanted you to discover. But I knew you were too much like your father. I knew you'd dig until you found the truth."

Cassidy's hands clenched into fists. "Tell me everything, or so help me,only God knows how much i'm holding myself right now."

Her mother sighed, her expression weary and filled with secrets. "It started years ago. I made a deal with certain people in exchange for… protection. For our family. They tricked me into believing that it was harmless, but as time passed, I realized what I had gotten myself into. I couldn't leave no matter how I tried. No one leaves."

Aaron's voice was firm. "Quite inconceivable huh! you sold out the town to keep yourself safe?"

Her mother squinched but met his gaze. "I made sacrifices to protect my family. And by digging the past, you're making those sacrifices insignificant by digging into things you have no control over."

Cassidy's heart was torn into a million pieces. The esteemed image she'd held about her mother was unraveling, leaving her lost in a sea of uncertainty.

"Cassie,stay out of this." Her mother warned, her tone eerily calm. "If you keep digging, they won't just come after you—they'll ruin everything you love. Walk away, Cassidy. This maybe your last warning."

But Cassidy had made up her mind. The truth had burned her, yet it had also strengthened her determination.

"I'm not walking away," she replied, her voice a fierce whisper. "Not until I take all of you down."

With that, she turned and headed back to the car, her heart shattered but her spirit unyielding. As they drove off into the night, Cassidy realized she'd crossed a line she could never uncross.

And she was ready to set it all ablaze.