By the time Ava reached her apartment that evening, her body felt like lead. Every muscle was strung tight, every nerve raw. She had barely dropped her bag on the couch when her phone buzzed again—three missed calls from her lawyer, five texts from Lily, and a dozen notifications from news sites.
The headlines made her stomach lurch:
“Wolfe Enterprises Rocked by Scandal.”“Insider Claims Young Executive Sabotaging Company.” “Mystery Woman Threatens Billionaire CEO’s Legacy.”
Her name wasn’t printed, but the shadow of it was everywhere.
Ava’s lawyer’s voice was clipped when she finally returned the call. “He’s moving fast. He’s trying to paint you as unstable, disloyal, even vindictive. We need to counter this before the narrative cements.”
Ava pressed a trembling hand to her forehead.
