I wasn’t betraying it.
I was … redefining it.
Truth wasn’t a monolith. It had context. Timing. Consequences. The truth in my notebook and the truth in Levi’s eyes weren’t mutually exclusive, but they weren’t identical, either.
“Ask me that again when I know what we’re up against,” I said. “For now, I can promise you this: I’m not your enemy. Neither is he. But there are people out there who are, and they’re bigger than one story. Let me do this right.”
He sighed—a sound that carried too many late nights and budget meetings and crises I wasn’t privy to.
“You’re asking for trust I shouldn’t give you,” he said. “Not after the last time. Not with the board breathing down my neck.”
“I know.”
“And yet,” he added, “you’re still my best shot at something that actually matters.”
Warmth flickered, unexpected.
“I’ll send you something,” I said. “Not a full piece yet. A memo. Notes. Enough context that you can tell the board I’m not on a pleasure cruise.”
“Do it by tonight,” he said. Then, softer: “Watch your back, Amelia.”
“Always,” I said.
“And don’t fall in love with your story so hard you can’t see straight.”
Too late.
I ended the call before I could say something that would make his job harder.
The phone felt different in my hand now. Heavier. Or maybe that was just me—suddenly aware of the weight of what I was choosing.
This was the first secret I’d ever kept on purpose.
Not a white lie. Not a tactful omission. A conscious decision to hold something back from a woman who’d staked her reputation on the ability to pry things open.
For Levi.
For his brothers.
For the part of me that had watched him break and realized I would burn my career to the ground before I let someone use my words as a weapon against him.
20
THE VANGUARD
The editor's phone rang ten minutes after he hung up with Amelia.
Different number. A woman's voice.
"She's hesitating."
The editor's stomach dropped. "You were listening."
"We provided the tip. We expect results."
"She needs time?—"
"No." The word was absolute. "The story. Published. Soon. Before your reporter decides her personal attachments matter more than the truth."
