COMPULSION

ONE.

The rain hadn’t stopped in hours.

Bethany stood at the edge of Logan’s massive window wall, watching the city blur beneath the storm. Lights shimmered like ghosts behind the downpour, but her reflection in the glass remained sharp—tense, wide-eyed, unraveling.

She hadn’t slept. Not really. Not since Juliette’s ultimatum. And even though Logan had held her last night like he meant to stitch her back together, the ache hadn’t gone away. If anything, it had deepened.

Behind her, the low thrum of music hummed through the penthouse, something soft and steady Logan had turned on to calm her. But Bethany couldn’t settle. Not when her phone was face down on the kitchen island. Not when she knew any minute now, Juliette could make good on her threat.

She heard him before she saw him—bare feet on hardwood, the rustle of a t-shirt being pulled over his head.

“You’re up early,” Logan said quietly, voice still rough with sleep.

Bethany didn’t turn. “Didn’t sleep.”

He crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her from behind, warm and solid. His hands rested low on her stomach, grounding her.

“I meant what I said,” he murmured into her neck. “We’re going to fight this. Together.”

Bethany closed her eyes, letting herself lean into him for just a second.

But just as the moment settled, her phone vibrated. Once. Then again.

She turned in his arms.

“Don’t,” Logan said, reading the look on her face.

But it was already too late. She picked it up.

Unknown Number

Check your email.

I warned you.

Bethany's hands went cold.

And then, the second message.

[REDACTED]: "Legacy Reality is under investigation for fraud. Anonymous source claims falsified records, forged contracts, and coercion of city officials. More to follow."

Her breath caught. “Logan—”

But he was already grabbing his phone, his face darkening as he scrolled through his notifications.

His company. Her name. All of it. Out there.

“Someone’s framing us,” he said, fury tightening every word. “This is only the beginning.”

Bethany’s fingers dug into his arm. “You think it’s Juliette?”

“No,” he said slowly. “This is bigger than Juliette.”

And just like that, Bethany knew—Juliette hadn’t been the final boss.

She was the warning shot.

The real enemy had just stepped into the light.

Bethany walked through the glass doors of Legacy Reality with her head high, but her stomach twisted with dread. The usual morning buzz in the lobby felt off. Conversations quieted when she passed, eyes not-so-subtly flicked in her direction, and smiles were too tight to be genuine. The office she’d once entered with confidence now felt like a stage where everyone was waiting to see her fall.

She forced herself not to shrink.

She passed by the interns’ bullpen where whispers trailed behind her, and by the time she reached her office, she felt like every eye had peeled back a layer of her skin. The headlines from the night before had been brutal, speculating on Logan’s involvement in shady business practices and suggesting that Bethany—his girlfriend and a rising designer at the firm—had known more than she let on.

Her fingers trembled as she swiped her keycard and pushed open her door.

The silence of her office felt deafening. She dropped her bag on the side chair and sank into her desk chair, trying to breathe. The weight of everything—Juliette’s threat, Logan’s promise, and now the public fallout—sat heavy in her chest.

A gentle knock startled her. Before she could respond, Teagan slipped in, shutting the door quietly behind her.

“I brought coffee,” she said, placing a to-go cup on the desk with a small smile. “The good kind. None of that burnt breakroom bullshit.”

Bethany looked up, her face already cracking.

Teagan’s smile faded. “Okay, spill.”

Bethany stood abruptly, pacing the small length of the room like a caged animal. “It’s all unraveling, Teagan. I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t. She actually went through with it.” Her voice wobbled. “I thought maybe… I thought maybe Logan could protect me from it, but I can’t be that girl who just leans on someone else while everything burns down around me.”

Teagan walked over, standing near but not crowding her. “Beth—”

“She said if I didn’t leave him and disappear, she’d ruin me,” Bethany whispered, her voice cracking. “She said she’d destroy my name in the industry, and now people are looking at me like I knew. Like I’m part of it. I don’t even know what I’m part of.”

“Breathe,” Teagan said softly, placing her hands on Bethany’s shoulders. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re not responsible for Juliette’s venom or the media’s obsession. And Logan—he’s not going to leave you.”

Bethany laughed bitterly. “You don’t know that. I’m not like him. I can’t just… recover from this. If I get blacklisted, that’s it. No second chances for me.”

“You’re not alone in this, B,” Teagan said firmly. “Whatever happens, we fight it together. One step at a time.”

Bethany turned away, tears finally brimming. “I don’t even know what step comes next.”

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door—this one firmer, more deliberate.

Bethany and Teagan exchanged a glance.

“I’ll get it,” Teagan said carefully, already moving toward the door.

Bethany wiped her eyes quickly, straightening herself just enough to brace for whatever was waiting on the other side.

And then the door opened.

Bethany had barely regained her composure when Teagan opened the door.

And there she was.

Juliette. A silhouette of polished malice in black designer heels and a white belted trench, eyes hidden behind massive sunglasses, like the villain in a noir film who knows she’s untouchable.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Juliette said smoothly, not sounding sorry at all. “I assumed this was a private meeting.”

Teagan stepped forward. “It’s not. You can leave.”

Bethany raised a hand. “It’s fine.”

“Bethany—”

“I said it’s fine.”

Juliette breezed in like she owned the place, plucking off her sunglasses and tucking them into her clutch. Her eyes—cool, amused—landed on Bethany, then slid toward Teagan with condescension. “You can stay, darling. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Bethany stood her ground behind her desk, fists clenched.

“Well?” she demanded.

Juliette gave her a slow, mocking once-over. “I was simply wondering if you’d come to your senses. If you’ve decided Logan’s not worth the professional funeral you’re walking into.”

Bethany’s breath caught.

“You smug, jealous b***h,” she hissed. “You think you can walk in here and scare me into giving him up like we’re in some twisted game of chess? I’m not your pawn.”

Juliette’s laugh was low and cruel. “Oh, Bethany. I don’t want you to be a pawn. I want you to realize you’re already checkmated.”

She pulled a slim envelope from her clutch and placed it gently on the desk between them.

“What the hell is that?” Bethany asked.

Juliette leaned in. “Insurance. For me. Devastation. For you.”

Bethany’s heart hammered. “I’m not playing this game.”

“Oh, sweet girl…” Juliette straightened and smiled like a snake uncoiling. “You already are.”

She turned on her heel without waiting for a response and sauntered out of the room like nothing had happened, like she hadn’t just detonated a bomb and left them standing in the blast zone.

Bethany stared at the envelope.

Teagan looked from her to the door and back again. “Don’t open it.”

But Bethany already was.

Inside was a single sheet of thick, cream stationery. As she read what was typed in delicate, precise font, her knees buckled slightly.

Her mouth went dry. Her stomach dropped.

“No…” she whispered.

Teagan moved beside her. “What is it?”

Bethany couldn’t answer. Her hand clutched the paper, her knuckles white.