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Chapter 13: The Night Before War

Author: Gabby
last update Last Updated: 2025-12-05 02:17:11

Amelia's POV

The night before Fashion Week, I couldn't stop my hands from shaking.

I stood in my studio at Sterling Tower, surrounded by the completed collection. Twenty-five pieces. Each one perfect. Each one a piece of my soul.

Tomorrow, they would be judged by the entire fashion world.

Tomorrow, everything would either come together or fall apart.

"You should be sleeping," Alexander said from the doorway.

I didn't turn around. "I can't."

He moved closer, his presence warm and solid behind me. "Second thoughts?"

"Tenth thoughts. Maybe hundredth." I finally looked at him. "What if I fail? What if all of this was for nothing?"

"Then you fail." He said it simply. "And then you get up and try again."

"That's easy for you to say. You've never failed at anything."

His laugh was bitter. "I failed at my first engagement. I failed to see Isabelle's betrayal coming. I failed to stop Ethan five years ago." He turned me to face him. "I've failed plenty. The difference is I don't let failure def
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    Amelia's POVThe news broke at six AM."Breaking: Sterling Group Releases Evidence of Massive Fraud Network."Every major outlet picked it up within minutes.Alexander had released everything. The offshore accounts. The money trails. The connections between Ethan and his criminal partners. Documents showing years of fraud, money laundering, and theft.It was all there for the world to see.My phone exploded with notifications before I even got out of bed."Did you see?" I asked Alexander.He was already dressed, coffee in hand, watching the news coverage. "I saw.""How do you feel?""Satisfied." He turned to me. "And terrified. We just declared war.""Good." I got up, moving to stand beside him. "Let them come."The media response was massive.Financial news channels analyzed the documents. Crime reporters connected dots. Business journalists called for investigations.Ethan's name trended on social media for hours.So did mine.People praised us for exposing corruption. Others accuse

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