"But here's the thing." I showed her the comment sections, the student discussions, the rumors spreading. "People aren't buying it like they used to."
She leaned forward, reading. Students were... questioning. Some believed Adrian. But many were saying 'Adrian does seem controlling.' 'Maybe we should hear her side.'
Public opinion wasn't unanimous anymore.
"Cracks in the golden boy armor," I said. "And you just made those cracks bigger. We need to make it even bigger."
There was a reason why I'm not escalating things with Adrian, killing him outright would turn the story upside down and make the Council turn me into a primary target. And that's something I'm not ready for yet....
But, what if I slowly steal the role of the protagonist? Let things he used to do be mine?
Lucille was quiet, reading the discussions. Then she looked at me. "You knew this would happen. That's why you told me the choice was mine."
"I suspected."
