CHAPTER 28

The recording circulated rapidly, its contents analyzed, dissected, and speculated upon by media outlets and online commentators. In the span of a few hours, it became clear that William's strategy wasn’t just to ruin Fiona’s reputation; he wanted to isolate her completely.

Darwin stood at the penthouse’s panoramic window, staring at the city lights while gripping his phone tightly. Marcus had left to mitigate the fallout, leaving Fiona, Thalassa, and Darwin to process the turn of events.

Fiona sat curled up on the couch, watching the endless stream of updates with growing despair. The narration over the video painted her as a manipulative woman orchestrating a scheme to trap Darwin, with Eleanor’s involvement spun as further evidence of her duplicity.

“This is worse than I thought,” Thalassa muttered, sitting beside her. “He’s not just attacking you—he’s trying to destroy every shred of credibility you have.”

Darwin turned, his gaze sharp and unyielding. “He’s playing dirty, and we’ll match him move for move.”

Fiona looked up at him, her voice trembling. “How? Every time we try to fight back, he finds a way to twist it against us.”

“Because we’re letting him control the narrative,” Darwin replied. “That stops now.”

---

An hour later, they gathered in the study. Darwin paced the room as he laid out his plan.

“William wants us to act rashly, to make mistakes he can exploit. We won’t give him that satisfaction. Instead, we’ll hit him where he least expects it—his alliances.”

Thalassa raised an eyebrow. “You think his network is his weakness?”

Darwin nodded. “He relies on key people to carry out his schemes. If we isolate him from them, he loses his power base.”

“Do we know who these people are?” Fiona asked.

Darwin gestured to a folder on the desk. “Marcus compiled a list of his known associates. Most of them are businessmen or politicians with ties to his company. If we can expose their connections to his illegal activities, they’ll distance themselves from him.”

Thalassa leaned forward, scanning the list. “This could work. But we’ll need hard evidence to make it stick.”

Fiona hesitated. “And if we can’t find anything?”

Darwin’s expression darkened. “We will. William isn’t as untouchable as he thinks.”

---

The following days were a whirlwind of covert meetings and sleepless nights. Marcus worked tirelessly with Darwin’s legal and security teams, uncovering financial irregularities and questionable partnerships tied to William’s empire.

Meanwhile, Fiona struggled to stay composed as the public backlash continued. Paparazzi camped outside the building, their cameras flashing whenever she or Thalassa ventured near the windows.

One evening, as Fiona sat in the living room with Thalassa, a breaking news alert flashed across the screen.

“Breaking: Alleged Insider Reveals New Details in Atlas Scandal.”

Fiona’s heart sank as the segment began. A woman, her face blurred for anonymity, claimed to have worked at Atlas Group during Fiona’s tenure. She accused Fiona of falsifying documents and using her relationship with Darwin to secure lucrative deals.

“This is insane,” Fiona said, her voice shaking. “None of this is true.”

Thalassa muted the TV. “Of course it’s not, but William doesn’t care about the truth. He just needs people to believe it long enough to ruin you.”

Before Fiona could respond, Darwin entered the room, his phone in hand. “I saw the news,” he said, his tone grim. “This just confirms we’re getting close. He’s desperate.”

“Desperate or not, he’s winning,” Fiona said.

Darwin crossed the room and knelt beside her, his gaze steady. “Not for long. We’ve identified one of his key allies—Alan Wright. He’s been funneling money through shell companies for years, and we have proof. If we take him down, it’ll weaken William’s entire operation.”

Fiona looked at him, her hope flickering. “Do you really think this will stop him?”

Darwin’s jaw tightened. “It’s a start.”

---

The next day, Fiona found herself accompanying Darwin to a meeting with one of his contacts, a well-connected journalist named Rachel Hale. They met in a discreet café, away from prying eyes.

Rachel leaned back in her chair, her sharp eyes studying Fiona. “You’ve been through the wringer, haven’t you?”

Fiona nodded. “That’s an understatement.”

Rachel turned to Darwin. “So, you want me to run a piece exposing Alan Wright’s dealings. You realize this will put a target on my back, right?”

“You won’t be alone,” Darwin assured her. “We’ll provide you with all the evidence you need, and our legal team will back you up.”

Rachel considered this for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. But I’ll need something from you, too—a statement from Fiona. The public needs to hear her side of the story.”

Fiona stiffened. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“It’s necessary,” Rachel said. “If you stay silent, you’re letting William define the narrative. This is your chance to take it back.”

Darwin placed a reassuring hand on Fiona’s arm. “You don’t have to decide right now. But think about it.”

---

Back at the penthouse, Fiona wrestled with the decision. She wanted to clear her name, but the thought of facing public scrutiny again made her stomach churn.

Thalassa joined her on the balcony, offering a glass of wine. “You okay?”

Fiona took a sip, nodding weakly. “I don’t know if I can do this, Thalassa. What if it backfires?”

Thalassa shrugged. “What if it doesn’t? You’ve already survived so much, Fi. This is just another battle.”

Fiona smiled faintly. “You always know what to say.”

“That’s why you keep me around.”

---

That night, Fiona couldn’t sleep. She wandered into the study, where Darwin was poring over documents.

“You’re up late,” he said, glancing at her.

“So are you,” she replied.

He set the papers aside and stood, closing the distance between them. “What’s on your mind?”

She hesitated, then met his gaze. “I’ll do it. I’ll give Rachel the statement.”

Darwin nodded, pride flickering in his eyes. “You’re stronger than you think, Fiona.”

Before she could respond, Marcus entered the room, his expression tense.

“We’ve got a problem,” he said. “One of our sources just tipped us off—William knows about Alan Wright. He’s moving to silence him.”

Darwin’s face hardened. “Then we move faster.”

Fiona felt a chill run down her spine. The chessboard was shifting again, and the stakes had never been higher.