Page 128 of Her Soul to Own

I take a breath.

Then, I continue, “To everyone who watched, reposted, commented, and speculated, this is for you too. You weren’t just bystanders. You were co-conspirators in the slow execution of a woman you claimed to admire.”

The screen behind me flashes again with audio clips, wire transfers, contract signatures, and timestamps. Zara did the work. We traced every digital breadcrumb. I give her a small smile because she’s been with me all along. She’s the best friend I needed in this desperate time. I don’t know where I’d be if it weren’t for her.

“And I’m not afraid anymore. Not of Evander Vane, Harper, or Declan. Not of what the truth costs.”

I take one step back, my face unflinching.

“This is not a comeback. This is a reckoning.”

The light on the camera dims. I stare for another beat, then let out a slow breath. My whole body buzzes with power.

Zara peeks over the monitor, giving me a thumbs-up, her mouth pulled into a tight, half-impressed smile. The cue cards in her hand are crumpled, untouched, and forgotten.

“You didn’t use a single one of my notes,” she says, more amused than annoyed.

I offer her a tight smile. “Didn’t need them.”

She smiles back, proud and a little misty. She always cries when people win. And tonight, I just might.

The world doesn’t take long to burn.

By the time Silas pulls up outside the studio, my phone is already vibrating nonstop in my palm. Comments, reposts, reaction clips, it’s like watching a tidal wave collapse on itself in real-time. Zara sits next to me, refreshing feeds every few seconds with a vicious gleam in her eye.

Silas steps out of the car before the engine fully stops. His eyes scan me the second I walk out, like he’s taking inventory.Breathing? Standing? Breaking?

“You okay?” he asks in a low and rough voice.

I nod because, honestly, words feel too heavy right now. His hand reaches for mine without hesitation. His fingers close around mine, grounding me and pulling me into the car with him. It’s simple, but it’s everything I need in this moment.

I barely register the ride back to the estate. The adrenaline drains out of me fast, leaving me bone-tired. Silas drives one-handed, never letting go of my fingers. His thumb rubs small circles against my skin, and it’s enough to make my eyes drift shut before we even clear the city limits.

The world keeps exploding while I sleep.

When I wake up, it’s morning. Sunlight cuts through the sheer curtains in soft ribbons, slicing across Silas’s bare chest as he sleeps beside me. His arm is around my waist, holding me like he never plans to let go. I blink, disoriented, and realize I don’t remember getting from the car to my bed.

He must’ve carried me upstairs.

I nestle closer for a moment, letting the warmth of his skin bleed into mine before reality floods back in.

The world outside is chaos.

My phone, abandoned on the nightstand, is still lighting up like a goddamn slot machine. Notifications roll in faster than I can read. And the comments… fuck, the comments. Zara wasn’t kidding when she said it would be a bloodbath.

“Holy shit, she exposed them ALL.”

“Harper’s DONE.”

“Declan’s PR team says this is ‘heavily doctored material.’ LMFAO, okay, bro.”

“I KNEW it. I’ve been saying for months that Declan was shady.”

“Evander Vane: The real villain hiding behind philanthropy.”

“Finally, someone with receipts.”

“Cancel culture my ass. This is called consequences.”

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