Melinda’s POV
I knew something was wrong the moment Carrie called.
Even after everything — the betrayal, the fallout, her resignation — she still called.
Still warned me.
Her voice was tight. Breathless.
“You need to turn on the TV,” she said. “Now.”
I picked up the remote and flipped to the news.
There he was.
Marcus O’Connor.
On a morning show couch. Navy suit. Classic smirk. Sitting next to a journalist I used to respect and now wanted to scream at.
I didn’t have to turn the volume up to know what he was saying.
But I did.
“This isn’t about revenge,” Marcus said, voice calm.
“It’s about truth. James didn’t walk away from the family. He was led away. And Melinda Holt? She’s been pulling strings from day one.”
He smiled gently.
Like this was a eulogy.
Not a strategy.
“The
