Morning broke over the city in streaks of gray and gold, but Zaria woke to more than sunlight. Her phone vibrated with a storm of notifications headlines, messages, urgent calls. She ignored most until Enric entered her suite, a folded newspaper in hand.
“They are moving,” he said without preamble.
Zaria accepted the paper, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the front page. A photograph of her at the board meeting filled half the page, her expression calm and composed, but the headline screamed scandal.
“Heiress Reckless: Zaria Rayne Stumbles into Corporate War.”
Her lips thinned. “They’re painting me as a child playing queen.”
Enric’s gaze was steady. “They fear you. When humans fear what they cannot control, they try to destroy it with words before they try with weapons.”
Zaria fold
