Chapter 5 - The Glass Fortress
The city was a blur of neon and cold wind.
I sat in the back of the taxi, my hands pressed against my belly.
The Thorne mansion was a ghost behind me.
I had no money.
I had no connections.
But I had the truth.
I arrived at a small, unassuming motel on the edge of town.
It was cheap, but it was safe.
I locked the door and slid a chair under the handle.
My phone rang.
It was Marcus.
"You're out," he said, his voice laced with relief.
"I’m out," I confirmed. "But Victoria won't stop."
"She’s currently in holding, but her lawyers are already working the system."
"Let them work," I said. "The video is everywhere."
"It's not just about the video, Emily. It's about the company."
"The company?"
"The Thorne Corporation is tied to the estate. If the estate falls, the company falls."
"Then let it fall."
I lay down on the bed, my body aching.
I realized that my freedom had a price.
I was the whistleblower of the decade, a pariah in the eyes of the high society I had briefly inhabited.
I didn't care.
May you like
I had my son.
And that was a legacy more valuable than any empire.
