The walls of the penthouse no longer felt like safety.
They felt like pressure.
Brooklyn sat cross-legged on the velvet couch, her laptop open in front of her, articles flooding the screen. Every hour, another whisper surfaced online — Was the marriage real? Was Brooklyn a scammer? Did she use the child to trap Damien Carter?
It didn't matter that the court had ruled in her favor. Or that Damien trusted her. The internet didn't care about truth.
But Brooklyn did.
And she was done waiting.
---
Morning – Carter Enterprises, Executive Floor
Vivienne led a tall man into the boardroom, her heels clicking crisply against the tile.
"Everyone, meet Grant Maddox," she said. "Private investigator. Former FBI cybercrimes division. He's going to help us find Elias's mole."
Brooklyn stood slowly, taking in the man's quiet presence — dark blazer, laptop bag slung across his chest, short, clean-cut hair and eyes like cracked ice.
"Mrs. Carter," he said, extending his hand. "I've already started digging."
"You don't waste time," she replied.
"I don't get paid to."
Damien walked in, nodding once at Grant. "You've got access to everything. We need answers. Fast."
"I'll deliver," Grant said calmly. "But I'll need one thing first."
He turned to Brooklyn.
"I want to start with you."
---
Later – Interview Room
Brooklyn sat across from Grant in a quiet side room of the building. A single lamp lit the space, and her phone sat turned off beside her.
"You're the one variable Elias didn't expect," Grant said. "You weren't in the family. You weren't in the company. And yet, you're his biggest threat."
Brooklyn tilted her head. "Because I exposed Emmett?"
"Because you turned Damien into a human being," Grant said. "You gave him something to protect. And Elias can't control that."
He opened his laptop.
"This isn't about just destroying your image anymore. Elias wants to break Damien from the inside out. Financially, emotionally. He's not after you. He's after what you mean to Damien."
Brooklyn's stomach twisted.
"Then he's going to fail," she said.
"I hope you're right," Grant murmured. "Because what I found last night says otherwise."
He turned the screen toward her.
A security camera still.
Blurry. Low-res.
But unmistakable.
A woman, stepping out of an elevator in the Carter building after hours.
Wearing Vivienne's jacket.
---
That Afternoon – The Confrontation
Vivienne sipped her espresso at the boardroom table, scrolling through her tablet when Brooklyn entered, followed by Grant.
"I need to speak with you," Brooklyn said firmly.
Vivienne looked up, blinking. "Of course."
Grant placed the photo on the table.
Vivienne stared.
And then… laughed.
"That's not me."
Brooklyn folded her arms. "The jacket is custom. One of a kind. Your initials are on the inside."
"I lost it two months ago," Vivienne said coolly. "Figured it was misplaced at the tailor."
Grant raised an eyebrow. "Convenient."
Vivienne set her tablet down. "You think I'm Elias's mole?"
"You were close to him once," Brooklyn said. "Boardroom rumors say you were more than just a work friend."
Vivienne's face didn't flinch. "That ended years ago. I hated the man long before you ever came into the picture."
"Then help us prove it," Brooklyn said. "Help us find who wore your jacket that night."
A beat of silence passed.
Then Vivienne slowly nodded.
"I'll call in my tailors and the building staff. If someone's impersonating me, I want them nailed to the wall."
---
Evening – The Elevator Footage
By sundown, Grant had isolated five elevator logs showing unauthorized access.
Two involved the same ID used to enter Damien's private floor.
And all five… had one thing in common:
They were accessed using Damien's personal clearance.
Brooklyn stared at the screen.
"He didn't open those."
Grant nodded. "No. But someone with his digital fingerprint did."
Vivienne appeared behind them. "That narrows the suspects to three: me, his secretary, and one very overpaid IT guy."
Grant smiled faintly. "Then let's pay him a visit."
---
Meanwhile – Elias's Hideout
Elias watched the footage from a secure drive, his lips curling with satisfaction.
The doctored marriage contract was already with a third-party "whistleblower site" set to release in two days. It would look like a leaked scandal. An internal betrayal.
And all of it would look like Brooklyn's doing.
The press would eat it alive.
"She'll fall before the baby's born," he whispered.
But what he didn't know… was that she was already fighting back.
---
Brooklyn's Secret Plan
Back at the penthouse, Brooklyn pulled a hidden box from the back of her closet — one she hadn't touched in months.
Inside were old flash drives. Password-protected backups of her own records from her nonprofit years — including her first interactions with the Carters during a charity gala she once catered.
There, tucked among photos and invitations, was a handwritten note Damien's late mother had given her:
> "You're the kind of woman this family needs — bold, kind, and honest. If my son ever meets you again… remind him that the world doesn't deserve your softness, but he does."
Brooklyn's eyes filled with tears.
She opened her laptop and typed out a message.
To: [Grant Maddox]
Subject: Evidence Backup
> I found proof I met Damien's mother long before I met him again. She vouched for me. If Elias is altering timelines, this could help undo his lie. Use it if things go public. And thank you.
She hit send.
Then she sat back…
And let the fire in her belly burn hot.
---
Midnight – A Kiss Before War
Damien found her curled up in the reading nook, laptop beside her, robe pulled tightly around her.
"You're awake," he said softly.
She looked up. "I'm thinking."
"About?"
"Truth. Proof. Survival."
Damien crossed the room and knelt before her.
"You don't have to carry this alone."
She touched his cheek. "I know. But I've never had someone who wanted to carry it with me."
He leaned in, brushing a kiss against her lips.
"This time, we fight together."
---
The Final Scene – The Leak Begins
At exactly 8:00 a.m. the next morning, an anonymous blog dropped a bombshell post:
> "Leaked Contract Proves Brooklyn Carter's Marriage Was a Setup — Sources Say Child Might Belong to Another Man."
It included an altered scan of the original marriage agreement, dated six months earlier than their actual wedding.
A flurry of fake texts. A supposed "source" claiming Brooklyn planned it all.
The internet exploded.
The headlines multiplied.
But what Elias didn't expect—
Was what came next.
Because five minutes later, Carter Enterprises published their own leak.
Real contracts. Real timelines. Real voice notes from Elias to Emmett, offering cash for betrayal.
And at the center of it all?
A single, smiling photo of Brooklyn holding her ultrasound scan…
And a caption:
> "I won't run. I won't hide. But I will finish this."