Volkov's surrender was public and humiliating.
At 5 PM, a statement was posted to his Fistoria author profile.
"Due to personal circumstances and a desire to focus on my family, I am withdrawing 'Dragon's Ledger' from publication. I apologize to Fistoria and its readers for any disruption. I will be taking an indefinite hiatus from writing."
The story vanished from the rankings. The promotion stopped.
The genre forums buzzed with theories. Scandal. Burnout. A secret deal.
Only Kasia and I knew the truth.
With the immediate threat gone, I allowed myself a breath. I checked my metrics. My reader base had grown through the conflict. My financial control was tighter than ever.
I was untouchable.
Which is why the next problem came from the one direction I couldn't fortify: home.
My mother sat me down after dinner. Her face was grave.
"Alex, we need to talk. Seriously."
"About what, Mama?"
