“Sir, we found out who did this to Iris yesterday—it was Maya Callister,” one of Jace’s men said into the phone. Jace was already driving to meet the VC claiming to be his father’s friend. He ended the call, turned the car around, and spoke with cold precision. “I want everything she’s done plastered all over the news—TV, online, everywhere. It’s high time she understood that messing with me was the last thing she should ever do.” By the time Maya saw it, the news was everywhere. She froze, staring at the screen, heart pounding. Her first instinct: faint. Her parents came rushing over in a helicopter. She expected comfort…support. Instead, a slap landed across her cheek. The sting burned more than the humiliation. She froze. “We gave you everything you needed! And now this? Not even for something positive?” her mother snapped, eyes blazing. “It’s not all my fault…Jace—” Maya tried. “You have to leave the country. Right now,” her father cut in, voice sharp with rage. “You’re sup

The cop chuckled, stretching for his phone—but Maya wouldn’t give it. She tried calling again, but Jace had already blocked the number.“Thanks for denying me the chance to even reach him,” the cop hissed, finally collecting the phone.By the time Maya’s parents saw all the bills, it was too late—they were bankrupt.Maya frantically tried to call her old contacts, hoping for a lifeline, but no one answered.“We sold our house. We’ll get it back when we get on our feet,” her father said quietly hours later, “but for now… we have to go back to the only place I used to have.”Maya wasn’t listening. She just watched as they packed her things into some beat-up truck, leaving everything she had ever owned behind. Hours later, she finally raised her head and realized where she was.“Mom, where are we?” she asked, her voice shaking.“Shut up, you idiot!” her mother snapped from the cramped back of the truck, buried under their meager belongings.“This is the place Jace used to live,” her fath