Melinda’s POV
The press storm died faster than I expected.
By noon the next day, the headlines were gone—scrubbed from every gossip blog and retracted by three official outlets. A brief “correction” replaced the viral piece, citing “anonymous misinformation and photo manipulation.” O’Connor Global issued a rare formal statement denying any claims of paternity or scandal.
It was surgical.
Clean.
Too clean.
That meant James had done it.
Not with charm. Not with money.
With power.
And that scared me more than the exposure ever did.
I sat in my office, fingers grazing the edge of a manila envelope my assistant had dropped off thirty minutes ago. Inside were background checks. Surveillance reports. Digital traces I hadn’t requested—but James had sent anyway.
A quiet warning.
Your pa
