"They built their kingdom with lies and glass. I only needed one stone."
---
It started with a single notification.
Then a hundred.
Then thousands.
By 9:00 a.m., the internet was on fire.
"Leaked Documents Reveal Celeste Harrington Paid Hacker for Amaris Lane Scandal."
"Edenrose's Golden Couple Caught in Cover-Up."
#JusticeForAmaris trending #1 worldwide.
---
Celeste woke up to her phone vibrating violently on her marble nightstand. When she saw the headlines, her scream echoed through the penthouse.
Zayden burst into the room, shirt halfway buttoned. "What happened?!"
She shoved the tablet into his chest. "She leaked it!"
He stared at the screen. The receipts were airtight—email logs, payment trails, an anonymous confession from the hacker himself. All verified. All public.
His stomach dropped.
"Where the hell did she get this?" he muttered.
Celeste was pacing, her manicured hands shaking. "I deleted everything. I paid to make it disappear!"
"She has someone helping her."
"She has Elliot Gray."
Zayden's jaw tightened. That name again.
"She's playing chess and we're stuck on checkers," Celeste hissed. "Do something!"
Zayden didn't respond.
Because deep down…
A part of him wasn't angry.
A part of him was proud.
---
Amaris's Penthouse
She watched the chaos unfold from her couch, barefoot in silk.
Every TV channel was broadcasting the scandal. Every news app featured her face. Not as the disgraced daughter, not as the fallen star.
But as the girl they destroyed—and who returned to burn it all down.
Elliot sat across from her, arms crossed. "Phase one: complete."
"People love a villain when she bleeds first," she murmured.
"You sure you want to keep going?" he asked, more softly now. "Because they're going to fight back harder."
"I hope they do," she said. "I'm just getting started."
He studied her a beat too long.
"You were always dangerous, Amaris," he said finally. "Now you're just... refined."
She smirked. "Good. Because phase two is personal."
---
Celeste's Family Estate – Later That Day
Paparazzi swarmed the gates. Reporters screamed questions. Security shoved them back.
Inside, Celeste faced her parents.
"We built this reputation for decades!" her father roared, slamming his fist against the table. "And you burned it in five seconds!"
Celeste was pale. Shaking. "I can fix it."
"You won't fix anything." Her mother's voice was cold. "You'll step down from the board. You'll end your engagement. You'll disappear from the public eye."
Celeste's eyes widened. "You're serious?"
Her mother stood. "We can't let you sink the whole legacy for one stupid high school grudge."
Celeste swallowed hard.
And for the first time… she realized.
Amaris hadn't just come back to ruin her name.
She was destroying everything Celeste built.
---
Edenrose Tower – Zayden's Office
Zayden watched the city skyline but didn't see it.
He was thinking about Amaris. Her voice. Her eyes. That fire in her that hadn't gone out—it had only gone dark.
She was alive. Powerful. Untouchable.
And he'd been a coward.
"Sir," his assistant said. "Miss Lane is here again."
He turned. "Let her in."
---
She walked in like thunder in heels—black pantsuit, hair tied back, expression unreadable.
He waited until the door closed behind her.
"You win," he said. "She's stepping down. The board is yours."
Amaris smiled. "Good. That was the appetizer."
Zayden walked around his desk, closing the distance between them.
"You're not the same girl," he said.
"No," she whispered. "That girl was naive. This one carries knives."
His hand hovered over her arm. "Do you hate me that much?"
She tilted her head. "Do you care?"
He hesitated.
And that hesitation was everything.
---
FLASHBACK – Amaris's Final Day at Edenrose High
She waited outside the principal's office, eyes raw from crying.
Zayden walked past her.
Didn't stop. Didn't look back.
Didn't say a word.
And in that silence, something in her died.
---
Present
She turned away from him now. "I came to tell you something," she said.
He waited.
"I'm not finished."
Zayden swallowed. "Why not?"
"Because I want to see how far you'll go before you beg for forgiveness you don't deserve."
He didn't answer.
And she walked out.
---
Elliot's Apartment – That Night
Amaris sat on the balcony, curled beneath a blanket. Elliot handed her a mug of hot chocolate, no questions.
She took it with a small nod. "You ever wonder what you'd be like if they never broke you?"
"All the time," he said.
"But then," she continued, "I remember… I was too soft. Too trusting. Too eager to be loved."
"You still are."
She gave a bitter laugh. "Not anymore."
Elliot watched her closely. "Zayden's starting to break. You know that, right?"
"I hope he shatters."
"And if he doesn't?"
She didn't answer.
Because that was the one ending she hadn't prepared for.
---
Celeste's Room – 2 AM
She stared at old photos.
Her and Amaris. Matching dresses. Best friends.
Her and Zayden. Senior prom.
Now? She was alone. Exiled. Disgraced.
And she knew—Amaris wasn't stopping.
She was going to lose everything.
Unless… she found something Amaris couldn't afford to lose.
Celeste opened her drawer.
Pulled out a flash drive labeled "ACE – Original Project."
Her lips curled.
Two could play dirty.