Not now.
Not with this story.
And definitely not with Amayah.
CHAPTER 26
Footsteps clicked sharplyacross the tiled newsroom floor—brisk, decisive, unmistakable.
Linda never called when she could confront someone in person.
She stopped at Luke’s desk, arms crossed, clipboard tucked against a fitted blazer the color of cold steel. Her dark bob was perfectly smoothed into place, glasses perched low on her nose, eyes sharp enough to dissect a lie before it ever reached print.
Everything about her screamed precision. Control. Results.
Before she even said a word, Luke lifted a silent prayer.
Yes, another one. Maybe Amayah was having a bigger influence on him than he’d thought.
But talking to—and acknowledging—a higher power felt so grounding, like something he should have been doing for a long time. He’d even checked out some listings for local churches. He’d been meaning to find one—for Christmas and Easter.
But now, he wanted to find a church for more than just those days.
Something was changing inside him—for the better.
“Well?” she demanded, scanning the open tabs on his monitor. “How’s the story coming? You ready to expose Amayah Harper yet?”
Luke swiveled slightly in his chair, jaw tightening. “No, actually, I’m not.”
The air between them cooled instantly.
Linda’s lips thinned. “What do you mean?”
“Amayah doesn’t belong in this story.” He met her gaze without flinching. “She’s not the problem.”
Linda leaned one hip against his desk, tapping her pen once against the clipboard—a habit he’d learned meant her patience was already running thin. “I thought you’d want to know: Your influencer girl reached out to her former boss asking about custom interior design packages. Sounded like she was prepping a high-end property.”
He squinted. “What? That doesn’t make sense.”
“It fits. She’s secretly buying a property and doesn’t want anyone to know about it.”
“How did you find out?”
“I have contacts everywhere.”
He shifted. “To me, it sounds like you’re determined to destroy her. Amayah isn’t Celeste, you know. Amayah had nothing to do with Hannah’s death.”
Linda narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you think I know that? I have to keep coming after you about this because you’re too blinded to see the truth in front of you! I clearly put too much faith in you. I shouldn’t have ever given you this story!”
Her words stung.
But Amayah had to have an explanation. Besides, all Linda had heard was gossip.
“I can probably find another influencer for you to bring down—one who really does have bad intentions. But it’s not Amayah.She’s not exploiting anyone. She’s feeding kids and helping the community. And she’s doing it without fanfare.”
“That’s exactly why she’s interesting.” Linda’s eyes narrowed. “The audience loves the rise before the fall.”
“I don’t want to see Amayah fall. She doesn’t deserve that.” A muscle ticked in his jaw.
