Chapter 8
The next few days were a blur of chaos. Hadley stayed hidden in her penthouse, the media’s claws still sinking into her reputation. Every glance at her phone felt like a cut; every headline was a fresh wound.
But with Eric’s help, things were beginning to shift. Slowly, they started pulling the threads apart. Eric’s sources — some official, others not so much — had been hard at work, digging through the muck.
Hadley didn’t ask many questions. She didn’t need to know the details. She just wanted the truth.
And she wanted the truth to clear her name.
One evening, after another failed attempt to step back into the spotlight, Hadley received a call that made her stomach drop.
It was from Eric.
“You need to meet me,” his voice was grave. “Now.”
When Hadley arrived at the address he gave her, it was to a small, nondescript building tucked in the middle of the city — the kind of place that had seen too many secrets pass through its walls.
Eric was waiting outside, his sharp features taut with tension.
“Come on,” he said urgently, gesturing for her to follow him inside.
They entered a dimly lit room, filled with computers and tech equipment. At first glance, it seemed like the kind of place where deals were made in shadow.
“What’s going on?” Hadley asked, her heart racing.
Eric turned to her, face serious.
“I’ve been investigating who’s behind the smear campaign. I thought it was one person… but I was wrong.”
He handed her a file.
“This,” he said, voice low, “was orchestrated by someone you know.”
Hadley froze. “What do you mean, someone I know?”
Eric took a step closer, his voice dropping even lower. “Linda.”
The name hit her like a slap to the face.
“Linda Harris?” she breathed, the old, painful memories flooding back.
Eric nodded grimly. “It’s not just her, Hadley. There’s someone else pulling the strings. Someone who has access to the kind of resources that could take you down in an instant. Linda’s involved, yes — but there’s a more powerful player at work here.”
Hadley’s chest tightened. “Who?”
Eric hesitated. “I’ll get to that. But for now, we need to focus on Linda. She’s been working with an underground network to destroy you.”
Hadley turned away, biting back the surge of anger that threatened to overwhelm her. Linda had always been the type to hide behind a smile, playing the victim, getting the sympathy she didn’t deserve. But this? This was something else entirely.
“Why? What does she want from me?” Hadley asked, struggling to keep her voice steady.
Eric’s eyes darkened. “I’m not sure yet. But I’m betting it’s more than just revenge. She’s been using her connections to frame you as something you’re not. She’s leveraging this scandal to pull you apart, piece by piece.”
Hadley clenched her fists, her mind whirling. “So, I’m her target? Just like that?”
“It’s not just you,” Eric said, his tone softening. “She wants to destroy everything you’ve worked for. And she’s going to do whatever it takes to make sure you never rise again.”
They were silent for a long moment as the weight of the situation settled in.
“Then we stop her,” Hadley said, her voice hardening with resolve.
“Yes,” Eric agreed, “But we need to be careful. We’re not just fighting her. We’re fighting the network she’s connected to. This could get ugly.”
Hadley squared her shoulders, steeling herself. “I’ve been through worse. This is just one more battle.”
Eric watched her carefully, admiration flickering in his eyes.
“I never thought I’d see you like this again,” he said quietly. “Stronger. Fiercer.”
Hadley didn’t respond at first. She couldn’t afford to dwell on how she’d changed. Not now.
Instead, she turned back to the file, searching for the answers they so desperately needed.
The next few days were spent tracking down leads and gathering intel. Eric’s network was vast, and Hadley didn’t have the luxury of slowing down. She knew Linda wouldn’t stop until she was completely crushed, and she couldn’t afford to give in.
But as they dug deeper, a troubling truth emerged.
Linda wasn’t the only one who had a stake in taking her down.
The deeper they went, the more Hadley realized the people behind this attack weren’t just motivated by jealousy or old grudges. There was something bigger at play — something far more dangerous.
One night, as Hadley sat reviewing the latest developments, her phone buzzed with an incoming text.
It was from an unknown number.
“I know what you’ve been doing. And I know who’s behind you. Stay out of it, or you’ll regret it.”
A chill ran down Hadley’s spine.
She showed the message to Eric. “This is getting personal,” she said, her voice trembling just a little.
Eric’s expression darkened. “Whoever’s behind this is making their move. We need to take action before they get to you.”
That night, they stayed up late, combing through every lead, until they finally connected the dots.
Linda hadn’t been acting alone. She’d been in contact with someone far more powerful, someone who had been manipulating events from behind the scenes.
The mastermind was revealed — someone from Eric’s own past, someone who had once been a close ally.
“Damien Blackwell,” Eric muttered under his breath, the name sending a shockwave through him.
Hadley stared at him. “Damien?”
Eric nodded. “He’s got the connections. He’s been pulling the strings for months, using Linda as a pawn.”
Hadley felt her stomach twist. “Why would he do this? Why target me?”
Eric’s eyes narrowed. “Because Damien has everything to gain from your fall. He’s been planning this for a long time.”
As the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, Hadley knew one thing for certain.
She was going to have to fight harder than she ever had before.
But this time, she wasn’t alone.