Elara woke to the smell of coffee and the sound of a television news anchor. She wrapped herself in a silk robe and walked into the living room. Julian was sitting on the edge of the sofa, his head in his hands.

On the screen, a leaked document was being scrolled through.

"THE VANE-VANCE CONTRACT: BOUGHT LOYALTY OR TRUE LOVE?"

Someone had leaked the original "Marital Protectorate Agreement" to every major news outlet. But it wasn't the version she had torn up. It was a digital copy, timestamped and signed. And appended to it was a voice recording—Julian’s voice.

"She’s a witness, nothing more," the recording played, Julian’s voice sounding cold and detached. "I’ll make her love me. It’s easier to control a woman who thinks she’s in a fairy tale than one who knows she’s in a cage. Once the Vanderbilt deal is closed, she’ll be compensated and sent on her way."

Elara felt the floor fall away. The recording was from the first week they met.

"Elara, listen to me," Julian stood up, his face ashen. "That was before. I was... I was playing a part. I didn't know you then."

"You made me a project," she whispered, the tears hot and stinging. "You didn't just protect me. You programmed me."

Before he could answer, the front door was kicked open. Not by the police, but by Julian’s own security team. "Sir, the board has executed the morality clause. Your assets are frozen. The police are ten minutes out with a secondary warrant for kidnapping."

"Go," Julian told her, his voice breaking. "If you stay with me now, they’ll say I forced you to lie for me. Run, Elara. Save your music. Save yourself."