LET'S BREAK THEM

CHAPTER 15: WE WENT VIRAL

The wind almost ripped the USB from my hand.

Ben’s fingers were inches from mine. His eyes were desperate. “Kudo, please. Give it to me. I can fix this. I’ll talk to him. I’ll make sure your mom is safe.”

My phone buzzed again.

Another photo. Same hospital room. This time a shadow in the doorway.

`Last warning.`

My mom. Alone.

And the man who wanted her gone.

I thought about prom. About the laughter. About the hospital bills. About the audio of Mr. Carter saying “remove problems.”

I thought about all the other girls on that USB. The ones who never spoke up.

Then I made my choice.

I pulled my hand back. “No.”

Ben’s face fell. “Kudo—”

“I’m not giving this to you,” I said. “And I’m not deleting anything.”

His eyes went wide. “He’ll hurt her.”

“Then we’ll stop him,” I said. I held the USB up. “Together. But not like this. Not with secrets and deals in the dark.”

I turned and walked to the edge of the roof. The city was below me. Millions of people. Millions of witnesses.

I pulled out my phone. My hands were shaking but my voice wasn’t.

I opened the livestream app.

Title: `I have proof. Carter Group is corrupt.`

I hit `Go Live`.

“Mr. Carter,” I said to the camera. My voice echoed on the rooftop. “You wanted me to disappear. You wanted my mom to be quiet. You were wrong.”

I held the USB to the camera.

“This has everything. The bribes. The threats. The proof.”

Comments flooded in instantly. 10 viewers. 100. 1000.

“To everyone watching,” I continued. “I’m uploading this in 60 seconds. If anything happens to my mom, the world will know it was you.”

Behind me, Ben swore. “Are you crazy? He’ll come for you.”

“Let him,” I said. I looked at Ben over my shoulder. “You said you were done. So help me. Or get out of the way.”

He stared at me for 3 seconds. Then he did something I didn’t expect.

He pulled out his own phone.

“I’m calling my lawyer,” he said. “And the police. And I’m posting this to my account too. If he comes for you, he comes for me.”

For the first time in a year, Ben and I were on the same side.

I uploaded the files.

The USB contents went to the news. To the police. To the internet.

Bank records. Emails. Voice notes. The photo of my mom.

Everything.

Within 10 minutes the stream had 2 million viewers.

Within 20 minutes #ArrestCarter was trending #1 worldwide.

Within 30 minutes police sirens were in the distance.

My phone rang. Unknown number.

I answered on speaker.

“Kudo,” Mr. Carter’s voice was shaking with rage. “You stupid little—”

“Police are on their way to you too,” I said calmly. “It’s over.”

I hung up.

Ben and I stood on the rooftop as the first police cars pulled into the Carter Tower parking lot below. Flashing red and blue.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“I know,” I said.

We didn’t hug. We didn’t make up.

But we didn’t fight either.

Two days later, Mr. Carter was arrested for extortion, bribery, and threats. Carter Group stock crashed. The board forced him to resign.

My mom was moved to a private room with 24 hour security. Paid for by the victim fund that started after my livestream.

Daniel texted me: `You did it. You actually did it.`

Reporters called me brave. Lawyers called me a witness.

I just called myself done.

Step 14: Complete.

The war is over.

And I won.

I walked out of the hospital with my mom a week later. Sun on my face. No cameras. No threats.

Just me.

Free.