Nancy sat at her dining table, laptop open, coffee half-sipped, flash drive plugged in.
Adrian sat across from her, more silent than usual. No charm. No smug smirk. Just... guilt.
The screen glowed with proof—emails, time-stamped messages, payment logs. All leading back to Lily. The betrayal was sharper than ever. Not just personal. It was public. Brutal. Calculated.
Nancy didn't look away from the screen as she spoke.
"We go public."
Adrian nodded. "She'll come after me next. Say I set her up."
"You probably did," Nancy said with a sharp glance. "The old you would have."
"I didn't," he said, voice quiet. "Not this time."
She believed him.
And that scared her more than if he'd lied.
---
Two Days Later – Press Release Drops
The headline was everywhere:
"Carter & Co. Exposes Celebrity-Backed Leak, Demands Industry Accountability"
Nancy didn't name Lily directly. She didn't have to. The evidence spoke loud enough.
The PR world erupted.
Suddenly, Nancy wasn't just the scandal's survivor—she was the woman who stood up and took her power back with intelligence, composure, and fire.
She was no longer in Adrian's shadow.
She was a storm.
---
Meanwhile – Lily's Fallout
Her agent dropped her. Her sponsors pulled out. Social media turned cold.
And for the first time in a long time, Lily felt what it was like to lose a game she didn't know someone else had started playing better.
But she wasn't finished.
Because broken queens?
Can still cut deep.
---
Back at Nancy's Office
Adrian stopped by, holding a folder.
"I ended the remaining legal ties," he said. "The marriage contract. The NDAs. All gone. You're completely free of me—on paper."
Nancy didn't say anything at first.
Then she said, "Good. Because when I choose you again, it won't be because I'm forced to."
Adrian's heart twisted.
"So... there's a chance you might?"
Nancy looked him in the eye.
"There's a chance. But only if you're willing to fight the way I did."
He nodded. "For you? I'll burn everything down."