Page 170 of Uprising

“What proof?” I snap. There was enough proof. There was more than enough evidence.

“He controlled the media.” Rose says. “He controlled everything.”

“And yet I got around that.” I snap.

Rose mutters under her breath shaking her head.

“I’m sorry.” Katie says. “I think about it, about what else I could have done…”

“You did enough.” Rose replies. “You gave me hope when I needed it.”

Katie gives her a tight smile like she’s not convinced.

“Not everyone has your tech skills.” Rose says to turning to admonish me. “You can’t be such an arse…”

“No, it’s alright.” Katie says cutting across her. “It’s nice to see someone has your back, especially after everything that went down.”

“I do have her back.” I say. “I will always protect Rose.”

Katie pulls a recording device and puts it on the table. “How about we start at the beginning? About how you met, about what happened six years ago.”

I turn my head, letting Rose lead this. She’s far more savvy in this department than me. She knows how to be the media’s darling, and besides it feels more her story to tell, she has more secrets, more trauma than me and it’s her decision how much she wants the world to know of.

I add bits here and there. My side to some of the anecdotes. And I keep hold of Rose’s hand, though I’m concerned that might be misconstrued. That this journalist might read more into this, that she might think I’m controlling Rose, exerting my influence.

Halfway through Lara interrupts us. She comes running up, throwing herself into my arms and I catch her just in time to stop her colliding with the table.

It seems to break the tension, it seems to put me at ease so instead I focus on my daughter, on making sure she’s comfortable with this. That she understands what we’re doing.

When Katie leaves she tells us that the story will go live tomorrow. That everyone will know what was really going on, though they’ve agreed already what details Rose will divulge and what she won’t.

Everyone will know she was forced to marry Paris and forced to marry Darius.

That her parents are good for nothing pieces of shit.

They’ll know about us, about Lara, about how we met at a party and fell in love, but they won’t know the sordid details. The parts that make this story salacious, that makes this story depraved.

I slip away once she’s gone. I sit in my study coming up with a plan on how to take on Darius. It’s a risky one, one that could backfire but I can’t see how else we can work it.

When the door opens I know it’s Rose stood there before I even look up.

She smiles awkwardly at me and I frown.

“You were very offish today.” She says walking towards me.

I let out a sigh. “I didn’t mean to be. I’m just sick of meeting people who knew what was going on and did nothing.”

She shakes her head. “It is what it is.”

“You’re okay with that? With forgiving people?” I half snarl.

“It’s not for me to forgive.” She states. “And this time tomorrow we will control the narrative. We will have protected ourselves in a way we haven’t been able to before.”

I nod leaning back in the chair. “What was it you said to Hastings earlier?”

A micro-expression crosses her face. “I needed to know something. I needed to check something.”

“What?” I ask.

---