Vanessa hated losing control.
And lately—
Too many things were slipping.
The media attacks were no longer working as perfectly as before.
Public sympathy toward Elena kept returning no matter how many rumors spread.
Even worse—
Adrian Kingston refused to break.
He only became colder.
More focused.
More dangerous.
Vanessa stood inside her luxury apartment staring at the city lights while frustration slowly tightened in her chest.
Her phone buzzed again.
Another article defending Elena.
Another fashion blogger exposing inconsistencies in the plagiarism accusations.
Annoying.
Very annoying.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.
Then Jason entered.
Still tense.
Still distracted.
Still easier to manipulate than he realized.
Vanessa immediately softened her expression.
“Yo
