CHAPTER 51; The OverrideEthan's Pov;Marcus stared at the laptop like the screen was counting down the seconds of his own life. Maybe it was. The warning kept flashing in red, pulsing across the display like a heartbeat gone wrong.AUTO-RELEASE SEQUENCE0:440:430:42Julian's breathing hitched.Yvonne pressed into my side, her fingers gripping the fabric of my sleeve so tightly it stretched under her nails.Marcus shook his head, stumbling backward."I can't stop it," he whispered. "It's over...everything is going to drop there's no time""Fix it," I said."I can't!"His voice cracked, but I didn't move. I didn't blink. I didn't soften.Weakness wasn't an option now.Yvonne's voice came out in a broken whisper."Ethan... please... don't let it happen... I can't survive this again..."Her words hit like a blade sliding straight under the ribs.I shifted slightly, enough for her to feel the pressure of my arm against her back."I won't let it."She swallowed, breath trembling. "You sa

CHAPTER 53; The Collapse of the Golden BoyYvonne's Pov;The studio lights felt hotter than they should have. Maybe it was the way every person in the room kept glancing toward me when they thought I wasn't looking. Maybe it was the weight of knowing the entire internet was still deciding whether I was a liar or a victim.But when Julian burst in face pale, chest rising fast the heat shifted into something else entirely.Fear.Urgency.Something breaking open.He held his phone like it was a weapon."Ethan," he said between breaths, "you need to see this."Ethan didn't move right away. He stood with his arms folded, expression unreadable, watching the reaction around the room instead of Julian's panic. That was something I'd learned about him; he always noticed people first, not the problem.Julian thrust the phone toward him.A headline flashed across the screen in bright red font:DERRICK STATHAM UNDER INVESTIGATION POSSIBLE FRAUD, BLACKMAIL, CORPORATE MANIPULATIONMy mouth fell ope

CHAPTER 55; The Man Who Wouldn't BreakEthan's Pov;Julian handed me his phone with shaking fingers.Not because he feared Derrick.He feared my reaction.That was smart.The statement was plastered in every headline already. The words "BREAKING NEWS" flashed in red like a threat, and I scanned through it as the studio buzz melted into a dull, meaningless hum behind me."I, Derrick Statham, refuse to stay silent while my name is dragged through the mud.These investigations are a coordinated attack by Ethan Hanka calculated attempt to destroy my career and my reputation.He has always been threatened by my success."A lie.A pathetic, desperate lie.My jaw tightened.Yvonne stood beside me, her hands twisting the hem of her top, eyes darting between my face and the screen like she was waiting for an explosion.But I didn't explode.I never exploded.Rage that is loud is rage that loses.I kept my voice flat. "He's cornered."Julian exhaled. "He's throwing you under every bus he can

CHAPTER 57; Midnight MovesEthan's Pov;The room went quiet after Julian's words, the kind of quiet that didn't belong in a building pulsing with bright studio lights and camera shutters. It was the kind of silence that settled right before something dangerous moved.Midnight.A leak designed to break us.Every instinct in me sharpened.Yvonne stood near the conference table, her fingers gripping the edge like she needed something solid to hold on to. Her breath trembled, but she wasn't crying. She wasn't collapsing. She was doing what she always did trying to act stronger than her fear allowed.I stepped closer.Her eyes lifted to mine immediately, like she'd been waiting for me to anchor her."What... what if it's something terrible?" she whispered."Then we deal with it.""And if it's something I don't remember? Or something that makes you look at me differently?""I'll still deal with it."She swallowed, her jaw shaking slightly. I could tell she wasn't convinced yet. Not by me, n

CHAPTER 59; The Truth That Shattered Her Yvonne’s Pov; The word hung in the air like something poisonous. Sister. My knees almost gave out again, but Ethan’s grip on my arm steadied me before I hit the floor. My heart thrashed so violently it hurt. The room felt too small. Too bright. Too sharp. I couldn’t breathe. No, no, no… He was lying. He had to be lying. My sister? My own sister? The man smiled like he had been waiting to watch me crack open like this. Ethan stepped directly in front of me, blocking the view of my face from him. His voice dropped to something quiet and lethal. “Say that again.” Her ex-manager shrugged. “Why? She heard me.” “Say it again,” Ethan repeated. “You’re wasting time” Ethan slammed his hand on the desk so fast the other man jumped and stumbled backward. “I said it again.” His voice didn’t rise. He didn’t shout. He didn’t lose control. But the silence that followed felt like the air had frozen around us. Her ex-manager swallowed hard