The cold resolve that had settled over Zayn as Scarlett departed still lingered, a metallic taste on his tongue. Thorne had indeed made a grave mistake, drawing Zayn’s attention. But before he could focus fully on that new, insidious threat, the shadows of his immediate past began to materialize in a far more public, and equally insidious, form.
The headlines screamed at him from every digital screen, every newspaper kiosk he passed on his way to the office. "CARTER CORP COCKTAIL: SON OF DISGRACE! Zayn Carter, the estranged son, seizes empire in 'hostile takeover'." Another blared, "RUTHLESS REVENGE: A SIBLING'S BETRAYAL." The articles painted him as a cunning, heartless opportunist, tearing apart his own family for personal gain. His father, the broken patriarch, was suddenly a victim, a
