The scent of digital ink and forced rivalry hung heavy in the humid Southern air the morning of the ritual. "The Gilded Scavenger vs. The Fallen Silver: A Battle of Bloodlines" and "The Rise of Riley Knox: Eclipsing the Old Guard" were the headlines howling from the local scrolls.
Lisa sat in the back of the transport, her eyes flashing amber with irritation as she tracked the social media currents. She knew this was Mia Turner’s handiwork—a calculated effort to scent-mark Riley as the new Alpha of the industry. It was the way of the entertainment packs: yesterday, Riley was a treacherous rogue; today, she had been groomed into a pristine goddess of the hunt.
The path to the top was never a straight line, but Turner Studios was clearing every thicket for Riley. Ashley scrolled through he
