I storm down the hallway, teeth clenched as my watch keeps pinging with more updates.
It’ll be over a million views by now.
“...Mum, stop. I saidonequestion...” She laughs, and the sound stops me in my tracks. “Yeah, I know. It’s very... new. But I like them, they’re good guys. They’ve helped me a lot... I will. Speak next week? Bye, Mum, bye, Dads, love you.”
I at least have the decency not to interrupt her, even though I’m eavesdropping.
Was she talking about us?
What was I doing?
My watch pings. I need my laptop...
“Sylvan,” she gasps as I enter the living room. “Were you listening in on my conversation?”
“Yes. Sorry.” She’s smiling at me, so I don’t think she’s mad, and whenever she smiles, all my thoughts seem to disintegrate. “I didn’t mean to. I was...” What was I doing?
My phone buzzes. My stomach drops.
She must see something in my expression because she frowns, stepping closer. “Is something wrong?”
“Not wrong, just...” I silence it through my pocket. “I need to tell you something.”
The way Revea looks right now, the sad dip between her brows, arms wrapping around her chest, closing herself off from me. I hate it.
“Come with me, please?” I hold out my hand, and whatever caused that expression softens a little.
When her fingers land in my palm without hesitation, I remember how addictive she is to touch.
It’s all I want to do.
But not now. Later. Right now, I need to get my laptop.
She follows me up the stairs, never letting go as I lead her to my room around the bend from Kaiden’s. I don’t let go even when we’re inside, instead grabbing my laptop withmy other hand and leading her to my bed. Even as she sits on the edge, I struggle to remove my fingers from hers.
I only let go when I need both hands to open my laptop. I quickly run a search for the footage and watch the numbers climb higher as the results compile.
Short of an internet blackout, there’s no stopping it now.
I close my laptop, setting it aside. Her eyes are already on mine.
“I don’t want to upset you,” I say, “but I need to tell you something you won’t like.”
She swallows, her fingers gripping my covers. “It’s okay. I’m ready.”
“The CCTV footage of you, it’s online. It was already online by the time Kaiden found you, even before the email you received.” Her eyes widen. “I managed to remove it from some places, but not all. Once something is online, it’s extremely difficult to remove completely. And now it’s gone... viral.”
“Viral,” she repeats.
I assume she needs clarification. “It’s reached the view threshold that classifies it as viral. It’s on multiple platforms, news outlets, and it’s spreading.”
Her fingers tighten their grip, teeth running over her lower lip in hard, slow scrapes. “Which means the police will have seen it,” she says, voice low. “Which means everything the hackers threatened… I’ll lose everything. I’ll be arrested—”
“No, Revea.” I make my voice hard, firm. “This isn’t their edited footage—it’s the full thing. It’s clear self-defence. I have several lawyers ready to say the same.”
She shakes her head. “But not everyone will see it like that, Sylvan. You’ve seen the way some of these alphas talk. I’ll be made an example of—”
“I will kill anyone who tries to harm you.” My jaw clenches. “I’m sorry. Sorry I couldn’t stop it. Sorry I let you down.”
