Alison’s eyes remained glued to her phone screen, her fingers trembling so hard that she almost dropped the device. The livestream kept playing, but every second felt like a nightmare unfolding in slow motion. The world around her might as well have vanished. The bustling sounds of the café, the chatter of nearby customers, the clinking of cups—it was all white noise, distant and irrelevant.
On her screen, the chaos outside Noah’s office was building. Reporters clustered in front of the entrance, microphones thrust forward, cameras flashing as they bombarded him with question after question. They were relentless, like vultures circling a carcass. And Noah—standing in the middle of it all—looked exhausted, his expression tight with barely-contained frustration.
Alison felt her chest tight
