The calm after the broadcast lasted all of one day.
Nancy stood at the edge of a university panel, answering questions about media, image, and identity. She was still glowing from the response to her interview—until her phone vibrated.
"Check the headlines. Camille struck back." – Adrian
Nancy clicked the link. Her eyes widened.
"Leaked Emails Suggest Deeper Dealings Behind Blackwood Marriage"
There it was—Camille's counterstrike. Fabricated or not, it was well-planted, well-timed. Her truth was being twisted again.
---
Back at the Penthouse
Nancy paced. "She's pulling out every dirty move."
Adrian was at his desk, talking to legal. "We're responding. Quietly, with facts."
Nancy spun. "She's not playing with facts. She's playing with venom."
He walked over. "Then we stay louder. And smarter."
She paused. "No more reacting. I want to plan the next move."
He raised a brow. "Planning revenge?"
"No. Planning freedom."
---
Meanwhile – Camille's Secret Meeting
"She's too clean now," Camille told her PR fixer. "We need to get dirtier."
The fixer hesitated. "It could backfire."
Camille's smile was cold. "Let it. She'll still bleed."
---
Later That Night – Blackwood Family Dinner
It was a tense affair. Grandmother Blackwood had called for a rare gathering.
She sipped her tea, then looked at Adrian and Nancy.
"I've watched you both weather this… chaos. And for once, I'm not disappointed."
Adrian blinked. "That's the nicest thing you've said in a year."
She ignored him. "If Camille thinks she's the last threat, she's wrong. There are worse waiting."
Nancy met her gaze. "Then we're ready for them."
The old woman's eyes glinted. "Good. Because this family doesn't survive by accident."