If you want to be Silas’s wife, you take care of his mess, or you get back on the plane to Ohio.
The fire crackled, a beacon in the cold, dark house. The children, fed and warm, had finally drifted into a fitful sleep on makeshift beds around the hearth.
I sat with Eli, listening to the battery-powered radio I’d found in an old kitchen drawer. It was an antique, but still worked. Static crackled, then a familiar voice cut through the noise.
“Good evening, Topanga! This is Gemma Brooks, live from the exclusive hills, bringing you a breaking story that’s got Hollywood buzzing!”
My blood ran cold. Gemma Brooks. The celebrity lifestyle influencer. Her face was plastered on every digital billboard, her voice unmistakable.
“Sources close to Finch Entertainment confirm a shocking incident unfolding tonight,” Gemma continued, her tone a theatrical mix of concern and excitement. “A crazed individual, reportedly a jilted fiancée, has trespassed onto the private estate of beloved action star Silas Montgomery.”
Eli’s head snapped up, his eyes locking onto mine. He didn’t need to ask. We both knew exactly what this was.
“Our brave security teams are on site,” Gemma narrated, her voice swelling with drama. “Attempting to de-escalate the situation and ensure the safety of the property. This unhinged stalker, sources say, has been making outrageous claims and refusing to leave.”
The radio commentary painted a picture of me as a deranged intruder, threatening a defenseless property. It was a perfectly crafted narrative designed to justify whatever Victoria planned next.
“Finch Entertainment representatives,” Gemma added, “have confirmed they are preparing for a forcible removal, pending intervention by local authorities. Stay tuned for more updates, exclusively on Gemma Live!”
The broadcast ended with a triumphant jingle.
“She’s trying to make you the villain,” Eli said, his voice tight. “She wants the world to think you’re crazy.”
“And that you children are just part of the ‘outrageous claims’,” I added. “No one would believe a ‘crazed stalker’ about hidden children.”
Victoria was not just cutting off utilities; she was weaponizing public opinion. She was setting the stage, not for a quiet eviction, but for a public spectacle where I was the bad guy.
I imagined the headlines: “Madwoman invades star’s home!” “Ex-fiancée holds children hostage!” The thought turned my stomach.
A cold certainty settled over me. This wasn’t just about Silas’s image anymore. This was a direct attack, a public trial by media, designed to crush me and erase any trace of the children.
I glanced at the sleeping faces of Toby, Leo, Sam, Daisy, and Chloe. They were so vulnerable, so unaware of the storm brewing outside their temporary haven.
Victoria wanted me to run. She wanted me to disappear in shame, leaving her free to continue her lies. But I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction.
I looked at Eli, whose gaze mirrored my resolve. We were trapped, but we weren’t helpless. Not as long as we had each other.
The radio static returned, a low hiss, a chilling reminder of the world outside the sealed gates. I knew then that I couldn’t just defend the house. I had to break Victoria’s carefully constructed narrative.
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