The television studio hummed with bright lights and quiet voices. Marcus Vance stood confidently behind the podium, dressed in a sharp suit, wearing the kind of smile that made him look untouchable.
Zara sat in the front row, her head held high, though her hands were clenched tightly in her lap.
The camera light turned red.
Marcus adjusted his microphone and began.
“Ladies and gentlemen, what you are seeing is a carefully constructed facade. Lara Voss has built an organisation that appears charitable, but in reality, it is a network of influence and control. Behind the innocent appearance of community support lies a dangerous system designed to manipulate people and gain power.”
He paused for effect.
“The evidence will show that—”
The studio doors swung open.
I walked in, a thick f
