That night, I allowed myself to sleep with the smallest hint of hope tucked under my ribs. One court motion. One step closer.
I didn’t celebrate—I wasn’t foolish enough for that—but I let the moment exist. I let myself imagine what it might feel like to win.
By morning, the fantasy had already begun to rot. The good news didn’t last twenty–four hours.
The packs buzzed with a new kind of tension. I felt it the moment stepped into the central corridor of the office building.
Two members broke off conversation the instant they saw me, and a junior advisor from one of the trade branches offered a tight–lipped nod before turning a sharp corner like he suddenly had urgent business elsewhere.
No one said anything outright. But I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like whatever it was.
I pulled up the headlines on my tablet before I even reached my desk.
“Blackwood Heiress or Bitter Daughter? Emily’s Lawsuit Reignites Rift”
“Sources Question Motivation Behind Inheritance Grab”
“Titanfang’s Future Luna Facing Loyalty Concerns Amid Legal Drama”
Each one stung in its own way. My fingers hovered above the screen as I scrolled.
The articles didn’t call me a villain. That would have been easier to fight. Instead, they cast me as a complication–emotional, unstable, a divisive figure dredging up past grievances to sabotage her own family.
A distraction. A risk. Just like Logan’s father had warned.
I was still staring at the last headline when Logan appeared in my doorway. His tie was slightly askew, like he’d been tugging at it, and he didn’t bother with a knock.
“Have you seen it?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s… something.” I set the tablet aside.
He stepped inside but didn’t come close. “The media’s not just speculating. They’re quoting unnamed sources from within your
Pack.”
My jaw clenched. “That doesn’t surprise me.”
“It’s getting traction,” he said. “And its sticking.”
I folded my arms. “Are you here to ask me to stop?”
He hesitated. “No. But I need to know if you’ve thought about the cost.”
The words landed like a slap out of nowhere.
“I’ve been thinking about the cost every day since my mother died!” I said, keeping my voice even. “This isn’t a game for me. I’m not playing politics.”
“I know,” he said, too quickly. “But you’re not the only one who’s going to take the hit. The campaign–my Pa alliances that don’t care about justice. They care about perception.
I stood slowly. “And what do you care about, Logan?”
Logan didn’t answer right away. His eyes searched mine like he didn’t know how honest he should be.
“I care about you,” he said at last. “But I also have to think about the kingdom I’m trying to lead.”
ere are
The silence that followed was full of all the things I wasn’t supposed to feel. Disappointment. Anger. A flicker of something too
close to Heartbreak.
“Then maybe we’re not fighting for the same thing,” I said.
His expression didn’t change. But his posture did–just slightly, like I’d hit a nerve.
“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” he said.
“Didn’t you?” I moved past him and grabbed the file I’d been working on. I could feel his gaze on my back.
“I’m not going to stop,” I said. “This is my mother’s name. When you’ve gotten what you want and the contract is fulfilled, this
is
my
future. I’m not asking you to carry it for me. But don’t ask me to drop it either.”
He didn’t follow as I left the room.
