The next morning, a crisp wind swept through the city as if to warn everyone—things were shifting.
Nancy sat at her desk with the morning paper. Camille's escape hadn't made it to the headlines yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time. Secrets didn't stay buried for long.
She reached for her phone and called Adrian.
"Morning," he said, voice still heavy with sleep.
"She'll come for us," Nancy said without preamble. "And this time, it won't be subtle."
"I'm already planning for it," he replied. "You just focus on staying three steps ahead."
---
At Blackwood Enterprises
A private meeting had been called. Nancy and Adrian stood at the head of the long glass table. The board members—those remaining and trusted—sat with guarded curiosity.
"We're not here to speculate," Nancy said firmly. "Camille's escape means someone wants us shaken. We don't shake. We strategize."
Adrian tapped the table, displaying a projection of their current holdings, press vulnerabilities, and the security protocol upgrades being rolled out.
"Effective immediately, we go dark on all sensitive data. If she plans to manipulate the press, we control the narrative first."
The board nodded, impressed by their united front.
---
Elsewhere – An Underground Newsroom
The reporter Camille had contacted opened the thumb drive.
"What the hell…" she whispered.
Inside were confidential emails, boardroom recordings, and hidden camera footage. But curiously, most of it wasn't damning—it was manipulated. Selective edits. Timelines tweaked.
Still, it was enough to suggest scandal.
The reporter made a call. "I'll run the story. But if this backfires, I'm not taking the fall alone."
Camille's voice purred from the other end. "You won't have to. Nancy Blackwood will."
---
Later That Night – Nancy's Apartment Office
Nancy scrolled through a forum on her laptop where whispers of Camille's data leak had already started to circulate.
Suddenly, an email popped up.
FROM: UNKNOWN SENDER SUBJECT: Truth Has Layers BODY: "You're being watched. But you've always known that, haven't you, Nancy?"
Her heart skipped. But instead of fear, something colder set in—focus.
She turned to Adrian, who was rubbing Muffin's belly on the couch. "She wants a war?"
He looked up. "Then let's give her a history lesson."
Nancy smiled. "Camille's about to learn something I've always known—I never play fair when the stakes are personal."