It happened just after 7 a.m.
Liam’s phone wouldn’t stop vibrating. He ignored the first two calls from Voss, assuming it was about an overnight market shift or a hostile board member making noise. The third call made him frown. By the fourth, he picked up.
“They leaked it,” Voss said without preamble.
Liam’s grip tightened on the phone. “Leaked what?”
“The boy. You. Boston.”
Ice spread through his spine. “Where?”
“Everywhere. Takeda’s media arm packaged it into a headline: The Child Ava Langston Hid From the Empire.”
“That’s a lie,” Liam said sharply.
“I know,” Voss replied. “But they buried the truth under something better — headlines, sentiment, outrage. Social feeds are flooding with it. News anchors are dissecting your morality over morning coffee.”
Liam didn’t bother pulling
