The floodlights of the television studio gleamed like spotlights on a battlefield. In the emerald glow of the green room, Alina Hart sat alone in a sleek black leather chair, forehead glistening with a thin sheen of sweat. Her phone lay on the small table beside her—notifications buzzing unceasingly, each ping a reminder of the storm Roth had unleashed. She swallowed, tracing the crimson dress she’d chosen: a daring cut that left little to the imagination, the same bold color that had become her armor since Roth’s first bombshell.
Across the corridor, behind soundproof glass, a producer’s voice crackled. “Five minutes to live, Ms. Hart. Michael Reynolds is ready.” The name echoed in her mind: the nation’s premiere political interviewer, known for grilling CEOs and politicians into admissi
