Chapter 299:

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“You don’t get to lecture me about my family,” he snarled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. “You don’t get to use my grandfather’s name to manipulate me. I know exactly what you’re doing, Elisa. You want me off the stage so you can have the spotlight. You think if you embarrass Allena, you’ll somehow win me back?”

He leaned in, his face inches from hers. “It’s pathetic. You’re pathetic. And you need to understand your place. It’s not on that stage.”

Elisa stared at him. The sheer, impenetrable wall of his arrogance was breathtaking. He truly believed this was about her wanting him. He couldn’t fathom a world where she simply wanted to destroy a liar.

She took a step back, the last ember of hope in her chest extinguishing with a soft, final hiss.

“I understand perfectly,” she said, her voice completely devoid of emotion.

“August!” Allena’s voice called out from down the hall. She had changed into a stunning white dress, looking every inch the angelic victim. She walked toward them, a bright smile on her face. “Are you done? They need us in makeup!”

August’s expression instantly smoothed over. He turned to Allena, his eyes softening. “I’m done,” he said.

𝘉𝖾 t𝗵𝘦 𝘧𝗂𝘳𝗌t 𝘁𝗈 reа𝘥 𝘰𝗇 ga𝗹𝗻ove𝘭𝘴.𝗰𝗈m

He offered Allena his arm. She took it, deliberately looking at Elisa as she snuggled closer to him. “Don’t let her get to you, baby,” Allena said loudly enough for Elisa to hear. “She’s just jealous.”

August didn’t look back at Elisa. He simply walked away, Allena glued to his side.

Elisa watched them go. She didn’t feel angry. She didn’t feel hurt. She felt a profound, chilling clarity.

She pulled out her phone and typed a message to Jewel.

Plan B is a go.

The reply was instantaneous.

Control room is ready. Let’s burn them down.

Elisa then slipped her hand into her briefcase and pulled out a small, featureless black device, no bigger than a credit card. She attached it to the back of her phone. A simple interface appeared on the screen, showing a single, ominous button labeled “Execute.” She pressed it without hesitation. A green progress bar began to fill, silently counting down to digital chaos.

Elisa turned and walked back into her dressing room. She closed the door, locking it with a soft click. She sat down at the vanity and opened her briefcase. Inside, nestled among her legal pads, was a thick sheaf of papers.

It was the Allena Sinclair dossier. The raw data. The lies.

She picked it up, her fingers tracing the red highlights she had made. She had tried to warn him. She had tried to save him from himself.

Now, she would just save herself.

The studio lights were blinding, casting a harsh, unforgiving glare over the sleek, modern set of Capital Minds. The live countdown clock in the corner of the monitor ticked down from thirty seconds.

Elisa sat on one end of a curved, white sofa. August and Allena sat on the other end. The host, a man with a reputation for journalistic vivisection, sat in the middle.

Allena was practically in August’s lap, her hand resting possessively on his thigh. She was glowing, basking in the reflected power of his presence. August sat stiffly, his face a mask of controlled authority.

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