CHAPTER : 22
The attack began at 5:43 a.m.
Not with a press conference.
Not with a statement.
With a leak.
Sophia’s phone vibrated against the nightstand before sunrise. She reached for it instinctively, half-awake.
Twenty-seven notifications.
Missed calls from Gabriel.
Three from legal.
Two from Investor Relations.
Her stomach tightened before she even opened the first headline.
SCANDAL INSIDE CALLAWAY: SECRET PAYMENTS EXPOSED
She sat upright.
Ethan was already awake beside her, scrolling through his own screen.
“They moved,” he said quietly.
This wasn’t speculation.
It was a coordinated release.
Across three major financial platforms, an identical investigative report had gone live.
Anonymous source.
Encrypted documents.
“Exclusive financial evidence.”
The accusation
