“They’ve locked themselves inside,” Luke muttered. “I don’t think they’re going to open up. They’re in survival mode right now.”
“So what do we do? Break in? Leave?”
His jaw tightened. “We pivot and form another plan.”
“Like calling the cops?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe. It’s going to freak them out if we do, maybe even destroy any of the trust they feel.”
Amayah nodded hesitantly. “Okay, for now, we’ll leave and give them some space. We come back later. When they’ve calmed down. Maybe they’ll talk to us then.”
Reluctantly, they turned back.
They both knew nothing was guaranteed.
CHAPTER 30
Back inside her house,Amayah’s phone rang.
It was Miranda.
Maybe she shouldn’t answer. But she felt as if she were on autopilot as she did.
“I just heard something that made my stomach drop,” Miranda started.
Amayah straightened, every instinct sharpening as she stepped away from Luke and toward her office. “What did you hear?”
“I ran into that real estate agent I recommended you talk to about buying that property. She told me there’s a rumor circulating that someone is doing an exposé. It’s about you.”
A chill spread through Amayah. “What? What kind of exposé?”
“The kind that destroys reputations. That claims you’re not who you portray yourself to be online. That money is your motivation.”
Her fingers curled tighter around her phone as a sickening realization hit her. “Is it Luke?”
A pause. Just long enough to confirm what she already knew. “Yes. How did you know?”
“He’s the only reporter I’ve talked to recently,” Amayah said, nausea roiling in her stomach. “And he asked me about finances.”
“Apparently, he hates influencers and wants to bring them down, all because a friend of his at the newspaper died after following the advice of some influencer. He’s positioning you as a cautionary tale—the face of manufactured morality.”
The words struck slow and sharp.
Manufactured.
Calculated.
False.
Her throat tightened. “That doesn’t make sense. He said he wanted to show stories of hope.”
“I don’t think he was telling the truth. I’m sorry. I just wanted to warn you. I’m doing everything in my power to get this story shelved. But there are no guarantees.”
The silence stretched long and brittle.
Snow whispered softly against the windows, blanketing the street in peace that now felt undeserved.
“How serious is this?” Amayah finally asked.
