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The article went live at 9:03 a.m.
By 9:07, Kiara's name was trending.
She found out the same way she'd learned most life-altering news latelyâby watching her phone vibrate endlessly on the cafĂ© counter.
Lisa called first.
"Kiara," she said breathlessly, "have you seen the press drop?"
"What press?"
Lucas texted a link.
Headline:
Anonymous Threats, Real Numbers: Inside the K-RAP Submission That Refused to Be Silenced
Kiara's hands trembled as she opened it.
The piece was clean. Professional. Ruthless in its clarity.
Screenshots of @TrueLedger's posts.
Metadata analysis.
IP overlaps tied to a private consulting firmâone with direct links to Benson Holdings' competitor network.
Her stomach dropped.
"They traced it," she whispered.
Shane stood beside her, already reading over her shoulder.
"They didn't just trace it," he said quietly. "They exposed motive."
The article continued:
> The anonymous account appears to have targeted Torres Brew immediately after the K-RAP submission gained traction, suggesting an attempt to discredit a small business by implying improper sponsorship.
> Public records confirm no financial transfer from Shane Benson or Benson Holdings to Torres Brew.
Truth.
Laid bare.
But truth, Kiara was learning, didn't end a fire.
It fed it.
Her phone rang again.
This time, Shane's.
He answered.
Didn't speak.
Then his shoulders stiffened.
"Yes," he said calmly.
"I understand."
"No, I won't handle this quietly."
"Because it isn't quiet anymore."
He hung up.
"My mother," he said. "She's furious."
"With you?"
"With the press," he replied. "With me for not controlling the narrative. With you for existing inside it."
Kiara's chest tightened. "I never wanted to drag you into this."
Shane turned to her fully. "Kiara, look at me."
She did.
"This was already my world," he said. "I just didn't realize how insulated I'd been."
The cafĂ© door opened thenâtoo sharply.
Mrs. Benson walked in, heels precise, expression carved from ice.
"I warned you," she said.
Kiara didn't flinch.
"So did the world," Mrs. Benson continued. "And now it's watching."
Shane stepped forward. "You don't get to intimidate her."
"I'm not," his mother replied coolly. "I'm acknowledging reality."
She turned to Kiara. "You've forced visibility on a system that prefers quiet obedience. Do you know what that does?"
"Yes," Kiara said. "It reveals who benefits from silence."
The room froze.
Mrs. Benson studied her for a long moment.
Then, something unexpected happened.
She exhaled.
"You remind me of myself," she said slowly. "Before I learned which battles were survivable."
Shane blinked. "Motherâ"
"No," she said, raising a hand. "Let me finish."
She looked at Kiara again. "You're not reckless. You're principled. That makes you dangerous."
Kiara swallowed. "I'm just trying to live honestly."
Mrs. Benson nodded once. "That's how revolutions start."
And then she left.
The silence afterward felt heavier than shouting.
"That went⊠better than expected," Kiara murmured.
Shane let out a short laugh. "She didn't disown me. That's progress."
Later that evening, the city hummed differently.
The café closed early.
They sat on the floor behind the counter, backs against the cabinets, legs stretched out in exhausted silence.
"I didn't know I could do this," Kiara admitted softly. "Stand in the open like that."
"You didn't know because no one ever let you," Shane replied.
She turned toward him.
"And you," she said. "You didn't know how much you could lose."
He nodded. "Or how much I cared if I did."
The words settled between themânot dramatic, not loud.
True.
She rested her head against his shoulder.
This time, neither of them pulled away.
"I see you," Kiara whispered.
He closed his eyes. "I'm starting to see myself too."
Outside, notifications kept flooding in.
Support. Debate. Anger. Praise.
But inside the café, something steadier formed.
They weren't just surviving together anymore.
They were choosing each otherâwith eyes open.
And whatever came nextâ
They would meet it not as sponsor and beneficiary.
Not as almost-lovers.
But as two people who finally understood what it meant to stand in the light.
Together.
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