A storm rolled over the city like a warning drum, thunder low and persistent. Nancy stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of Blackwood Tower, watching the clouds gather. She could feel it in her bones—something was coming.
Behind her, Adrian spoke with someone on a secure line, voice low and clipped.
"No, I don't want retaliation. Not yet. Let her think she's winning."
Nancy turned. "Let me guess. Camille's new play?"
Adrian hung up. "She leaked the college documents. Heavily redacted. But the message is clear—she's hinting at your father's connection to Blackwood's past scandals."
Nancy didn't flinch. "Then she's already behind. We addressed it in the Transparency Stream. The public isn't biting."
Adrian walked over, brushing a stray lock of hair from her cheek. "She's getting reckless."
Nancy nodded. "Which means she's desperate."
---
Across Town – An Anonymous Newsroom
Camille slammed her fist on the desk.
"Why isn't it working? She was supposed to crumble!"
Marcus looked amused. "You underestimated her PR game. She didn't just block your attack—she turned it into a rallying cry."
Camille snarled. "Then we go personal. You said you had something. Something... untraceable?"
Marcus reached into his coat and pulled out a small drive.
"This has voice recordings. Intimate ones. Conversations between Adrian and Lily. Ones that could be... misinterpreted."
Camille's eyes narrowed. "You want to hit the heart."
"Exactly."
---
Blackwood Estate – Later That Night
Nancy sat curled on the couch in Adrian's arms, a movie playing in the background. Muffin was drooling happily on her foot.
Her phone buzzed.
A private number.
She opened the message.
"Sometimes love doesn't last. But secrets? Secrets leave scars."
Attached was an audio clip.
Adrian's voice. And Lily's.
"I miss you," Lily's voice whispered. "Sometimes I wonder if it should've been me."
Silence.
Then Adrian's reply: "Sometimes... I wonder the same."
Nancy froze. Her body stiffened. Adrian, sensing the shift, looked over.
"What is it?"
She handed him the phone, face unreadable.
He listened. And then cursed softly. "This—this was before you and I were ever close. When Lily called after she left. I didn't even know I was being recorded."
Nancy didn't say anything.
"I chose you," he said quickly. "Every day since then. Even when I didn't deserve you."
Nancy stood. "I need air."
---
On the Balcony
The rain had started. Light. Cold. Sharp.
Nancy gripped the railing.
Was it possible to forgive the past when it haunted the present? Could she trust him entirely?
Her phone buzzed again.
This time, no message. Just an image.
A photo of her old apartment building.
Live. Timestamps fresh.
Camille wasn't done.
Nancy turned back inside, drenched but burning.
"She went after my family."
Adrian stood, jaw tight. "We end this. Now."
Nancy's eyes gleamed. "Let's burn her mirrors to the ground."