(James)
I sat at my desk in my office, thinking about what had happened. Ever since I left Sophie’s home, I had buried myself in work, convincing myself that staying busy would make the noise fade. Managing my company, handling meetings, keeping up with responsibilities. All of it had been a shield. But today felt different. Today I was not thinking about numbers or headlines. I was thinking about me.
The past few weeks had been harder than I wanted to admit. Marcus’ schemes had been calculated and cruel, designed to strip me of dignity. The rumors about that night at the private club, the headlines, the whispered accusations. They were lies, but lies had a way of sinking their claws in. Even now, some people still believed them. Some looked at me differently, refused to give me the bene
