Xander’s POVEric stood stiffly in front of me, tablet clutched like a shield. His eyes flickered, sharp but hesitant. He knew better than to waste time.“Say it,” I ordered.He swallowed. “Liam’s team wired payments to two major tabloids. Both are running extended features on Mia, painting her as the center of Jacob’s death.”My jaw tightened. “Proof?”“Wire transfers. Direct. The digital trail isn’t even subtle. He was sloppy.”A cold smirk tugged at my lips. “Sloppy is good. Sloppy people get fired.”Eric nodded, tapping the screen. “I have screenshots, timestamps, even the accounts. They’re untraceable to Liam himself, but his fixer handled everything. And that fixer isn’t careful.”“N
Mia’s POVThe headlines pierced like knives, each sharper than the last.“Mia Evans, Murderer in Red?”“Dark Truth Behind the Gala Night.”“Blake’s Lover Linked to Brother’s Death.”My hands shook as I scrolled, the screen blurring through the sting in my eyes. My chest felt like it was caving in, every breath shallow, ragged.Murderer. Dark truth. Linked.The words clung to me, branding my skin, wrapping around my throat. I wanted to throw the phone, shatter it, erase the headlines, but they’d still exist. They’d still spread.I pressed a hand to my mouth, stifling the sob clawing its way out. How could letters on a page feel heavier than chains?They were pulling me down, burying me alive. No matter how loud I
Liam’s POVThe headlines blared across the glowing screen, each one more poisonous than the last.“Mia Evans’ Bloody Past, Dark Secret at the Gala Exposed?”“Was Jacob Blake’s Death Really an Accident?”“Sources Suggest Mia Was Involved.”I leaned back in the chair, the taste of victory sharp on my tongue. A laugh escaped, low and uncontrollable. “Perfect. Absolutely perfect.”Clarissa’s gasp cut through the silence. “You can’t be serious.”I turned, smirking. “Why wouldn’t I be? Look at it. Every outlet is running with it. She’s done before she even starts to defend herself.”Her eyes narrowed. “You’re celebrating the ruin of a woman’s life.”I
Xander’s POVI shut the door to my room, the click echoing louder than it should. The silence pressed in, dragging old ghosts with it. The article about Mia had ripped open wounds I thought had scarred over.I leaned against the wall, muttering to myself. “Jacob…”His name still burned. My brother. My failure.The night before the gala replayed in fragments, like a broken reel. I saw his face again, angry, flushed, eyes accusing.“Why can’t you just let me live my life, Xander?” Jacob had snapped that night.I had slammed my hand against the desk. “Because you don’t see the snakes circling you. That deal you’re chasing, it’s poison. They’ll use you.”“You don’t own me!” he shot back. “I’m not your shadow, not your soldier. I can make my own choices.”I remembered the heat rising in my chest. “You thin
Mia’s POVThe notification hit like a fist. I was sitting at the kitchen counter, coffee gone cold, when my phone lit up with a headline that made my stomach drop."Mia Evans Linked to Tragic Incident Years Ago…New Evidence Emerges."I read it twice because my hands were shaking. I didn't click. I shouldn't have clicked, but of course I did. The article wasn't subtle. It was curated poison: a staged photograph of me at the gala years ago, a blurred caption, and then the insinuation, a question mark placed where facts should be."She was present during the blackout that killed Jacob Blake. Could new testimony tie her to the sabotage?" the subheader read.My mouth went dry. Jacob. I hadn't thought about him in years.My phone buzzed again. Sophie. I let it go to voicemail. My pulse ratcheted in my throat.Someone knocked on the penthouse door. Xander's voice called out, clipped. "Mia, are you up?"I swallowed and hit the screen to open the article. Comments cascaded like shards."She di
Liam’s POVThe office was too quiet. Too damn quiet. Once, reporters used to wait outside these doors just to catch a glimpse of me, Liam Carter, the man who had everything. Now? They whispered about the trial, about my fall.I slammed the tumbler of whiskey down, the amber liquid sloshing over my hand.“Traitors,” I muttered.Paul flinched. “Sir…”“Don’t you dare ‘sir’ me like that. Do you know what it’s like to be stabbed in the back by the very person who was supposed to defend you?”Paul shifted. “You mean… Mrs. Carter?”I laughed, short and bitter. “Don’t be clever. I mean the one who signed our life away with a smile.”Paul swallowed. “People are talking, Liam. They…”“Let them talk.” I jabbed a finger at the glass. “Let them tear my name apart. At least the truth is still mine to tell.”“The truth?” Paul echoed. “They saw the tapes, the emails. They saw witnesses. The jury…”“The jury listens to lies dressed up as fact.” I stood, chair scraping. “They called me a monster. They