The headline blazed across Damien’s phone screen, its words like a jagged knife to Isabella’s chest. Her pulse thundered in her ears as she scanned the article, its implications sinking in with every sentence. Claire and Antonov had spun a narrative that painted her as the calculating woman behind Damien’s empire—a willing participant in his supposed “empire of lies.”
Isabella’s knees buckled, and she sank onto the couch. “They’ve weaponized my name,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Damien stood rigid, his dark eyes smoldering with fury. “This is exactly what they wanted—to isolate us, to humiliate us.”
Victor, still standing in the corner of the room, shifted uncomfortably. “The story is gaining traction,” he said. “News outlets are picking it up. Social media is exploding.”
“Get
