Chapter 10%
“Then you need to be patient. Rushing in will only put you at a disadvantage. You have to be smart, gain access to Liam’s world without raising suspicion,”
My grip on the folder tightened. I already knew that. This wasn’t just about storming in and taking him back. No. This was war. And I had every intention of winning.
“Fine,” I said, my voice steady. “Tell me everything.”
He nodded, pulling out another set of documents. “Liam attends a prestigious private school. Drop–offs and pick–ups are handled by their personal driver or Olivia herself. Ethan rarely shows up, but when he does, he’s heavily guarded. The staff and security know better than to let any strangers near the children.”
I clenched my jaw. Olivia had her claws deep in my son’s life, playing the role of the perfect mother while I was left to rot in misery!!! That woman had taken everything from me.)
But soon, I was going to take it all back.
“What about his routine?“3
The investigator flipped a page. “He has soccer practice twice a week, piano lessons every Saturday, and weekly trips to a children’s center–probably a social activity arranged by Olivia ”
I narrowed my eyes. “That is my opening.”
“Possibly,” he admitted. “But again, you can’t just show up unannounced.”
I tapped my fingers on the table, thinking. I needed a way in, a reason to be near Liam without causing immediate suspicion.
Then it hit me.X
“That children’s center,” I said slowly. “Who funds it?”
He checked his notes. “Some private donors, but the biggest benefactor is the Blackwood Foundation.
I nearly laughed. Richard’s foundation.
The universe was practically handing me an opportunity
“I’ll handle the rest from here,” I said, closing the folder..
The investigator hesitated. “Ms. Clair, I know revenge fuels you, but don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment. Ethan is dangerous.”
I met his gaze with ice–cold determination. “Ethan took my son. He stole years from me, ripped me apart, and left me with nothing. If he thinks I’m just going to sit back and let him win-“I leaned forward, voice dropping to a whisper, “he has no idea who he’s dealing
with.”
The man sighed but didn’t argue. Instead, he slid me a burner phone. “If you need anything else, call me. And be careful.
I slipped the phone into my bag, stood up, and walked out of the café, anonymously.
Outside, the city lights burned bright, but nothing shined as fiercely as the fire in my chest.”
But the next morning, I woke up to chaos.
My phone buzzed relentlessly, notifications flooding in faster than I could process them. Missed calls, unread messages, and social media tags filled my screen, each one screaming for my attention. Something had exploded overnight, and I had a feeling I already knew
what it was.
With a deep breath, I clicked on one of the links.
And there it was.!! i
A video compilation of me–carefully edited, manipulated, and designed to destroy my reputation. Old footage from Trisha’s wedding had been spliced together to make me look like a delusional stalker. Clips showed me standing near Ethan, my presence exaggerated to seem obsessive. A shot of me being dragged out by security was slowed down, highlighting my distressed expression. The worst part was the audio. Someone had carefully edited my voice, twisting my words to fabricate a humiliating scene where I supposedly screamed, Tm his wife! I belong to him!”
It was disgusting.
The hashtags were even worse.X
#PsychoticActress!
#StalkerClaire!
#Ethan’sCrazyEx
–
I clenched my jaw, already knowing who was behind this. Olivia and Trisha.
They were desperate. My rising success in the industry had started to overshadow them, and they hated it. Olivia had always wanted to be the queen of the entertainment world, unwilling to let anyone threaten her position. Trisha? She still couldn’t accept that the woman she once slapped and humiliated was now standing above her!
But they had made a mistake.X
They thought this would break me
They forgot who I was.!!
Without hesitation, I picked up my phone and dialed Luces.
12:28 PM = d
Without hesitation, I picked up my phone and dialed Lucas.
“I assume you’ve seen it?” he answered.
“Shut it down, Lucas,” My voice was cold, unwavering. “Every single video. Every single article, I don’t care what it takes.”
There was a pause before he chuckled. 1 was hoping you’d say that. Already on it.”%
Minutes later, Richard called. His voice was calm, but I could hear the storm beneath the surface.
“They want war?” His words were slow, deliberate. “Then let’s give them war”
By noon, my name was wiped clean.2
Lucas had every major media outlet retracting their articles, issuing formal statements that the videos were heavily doctored and misleading Richard used his power to pull strings behind the scenes, ensuring that any news station that dared to spread the slander found itself blacklisted from the industry.”
By evening, the entire scandal had backfired,
Fans started digging deeper, determined to uncover the truth. Real, unedited footage of the wedding surfaced, exposing everything. The videos clearly showed that I had been invited–and ambushed. People started calling out Olivia and Trisha for their obvious smear campaign, tearing apart their fabricated narrative.X
And just
like that, the tide tumed.
I scrolled through the latest headlines, my lips curving into a smirk.
“Rising Actress Sophia Lancaster Faces False Accusations–The Truth Revealed.“%
“Actress Olivia Bennett and Trisha Caldwell Under Fire for Attempted Career Sabotage.”
Poor Olivia, Poor Trisha.
They really thought they could beat me at this game.
Pathetic. The attacks stopped–for now. But something else started. Ethan.
It began with flowers. A massive bouquet of red roses delivered straight to my set, accompanied by a small card.
I’m proud of you, Claire. Always have been. -E.!!
I scoffed, not even hesitating as I tossed them into the trash.
Then came the calls.
At first, it was just one missed call. Then five. Then ten. Each one followed by
every message.
“Claire, please. Just talk to me.“X
“I made mistakes, but I never stopped thinking about you.”?
1 need to see you“)
a voicemail, his voice growing more desperate with
Pathetic. Then came the gifts Jewelry. Designer bags. A custom–made dress that probably cost a fortune. Each one arriving in expensive packaging, each one sent straight back without a second glance.
But Olivia? She was losing her mind.
Paparazzi caught her storming out of Ethan’s office, her face twisted in fury. Reports of fights between them started surfacing. whispers of shattered phones and screaming matches filling every gossip column. Some claimed she had smashed one of his phones. Others insisted she had accused him of still being in love with me.
She wasn’t wrong. But I wasn’t interested.
Ethan was just another man who thought he could throw roses at the fire he started and expect it to go
out
He had no idea. I wasn’t the girl he abandoned.
was the woman who would burn his entire world down.
