The Heart That Wouldn’t Surrender
Question is: what’s it worth to keep them private?
“They’re bluffing,” Aurelius says, but there’s uncertainty beneath his conviction. “Scarlett’s files were seized by the FBI. There’s no way—”
“Unless she had backups,” Jennifer cuts in. “Multiple locations. Encrypted drives. Cloud storage under false names. It’s standard procedure in blackmail operations.”
The rooftop suddenly feels too small. Too exposed.
Everyone is still celebrating—his mother laughing with friends, Emma snapping photos, the saxophonist playing—completely unaware that our victory might already be unraveling.