Chapter 64 *
Scarlett’s POV
I'd faced armed mercenaries without flinching. Stared down cartel bosses. Walked into rooms knowing I might not walk out.
And I'd never felt helpless.
Not once.
But this?
This anonymous fucking mob on the internet?
I couldn't fight it.
Couldn't shoot it. Couldn't stab it. Couldn't threaten it into submission.
I could snap a man's neck in three seconds. Could disarm someone twice my size. Could disappear in a crowded city and never be found.
But I couldn't make a hundred million strangers believe me.
I grabbed my pillow. Pressed it against my face.
Wanted to scream into it. Let everything out.
But what was the point?
Who would hear?
Not my family. They'd already made their position clear.
Not the media. They were feeding off this story like vultures.
Not the internet. They'd already decided I was guilty.
I threw the pillow across the room.
It hit the wall. Fell to the floor.
Didn't make me feel better.
Nothing would.
I stood up. Paced the room.
Alone.
Completely alone.
Damon was at the office. Probably didn't even know what was happening yet.
My family had abandoned me.
The internet wanted me destroyed.
And I had no one to call. No one to talk to.
I was on my own.
Like I'd always been.
My breathing was getting faster.
I could feel it building. That pressure in my chest. Behind my eyes.
I hadn't cried in years.
I pressed my palms against my eyes. Hard.
Forced the tears back.
No.
I wasn't going to cry.
I wasn't going to give them that.
But God, I wanted to.
Wanted to curl up and let it all out.
All the rage. All the frustration. All the loneliness.
Everything I'd been holding in for years.
But I couldn't.
The bedroom door pushed open slowly.
Damon stood in the doorway. Still in his suit. Tie loosened. Looking tired.
His eyes found me immediately. On the floor. Curled up in the dark.
He didn't say anything. Just walked over.
Sat down next to me. Back against the bed. Shoulder touching mine.
Silence.
Then his hand moved. Large. Warm. Rested on top of my head.
Started stroking my hair. Slow. Gentle.
I leaned into it without meaning to.
"You here to interrogate me too?" My voice came out rough.
"No."
His hand kept moving. Fingers running through my hair.
I closed my eyes.
"You want to ask if I cheated?"
He laughed. Actually laughed.
"If you were going to cheat, you wouldn't have gotten caught."
I opened my eyes. Looked at him.
He was smiling. That small, amused smile.
My throat tightened.
"I'm serious."
"So am I." He shifted slightly. Still stroking my hair. "You're too smart to leave such an obvious trail. A 3.2 GPA to a perfect 1600? Anyone with half a brain would know that looks suspicious."
I almost smiled despite everything.
"That's your logic? I'm too smart to get caught?"
"Exactly." He paused. "Plus, you don't need to cheat. You're genuinely brilliant. You just hid it well in Montana."
His phone buzzed. He pulled it out with his free hand.
Glanced at the screen. His expression changed.
"Arthur found something."
I sat up straighter. "What?"
He tapped the screen. Put it on speaker.
"Sir." Arthur's voice came through. Professional. Clipped. "We traced the source."
"And?"
"Coordinated attack. Bot farm operating out of Eastern Europe. Professional grade. Someone paid serious money for this."
Damon's jaw tightened. "How serious?"
"Six figures minimum. They've got paid trolls amplifying the narrative. Fake accounts posting 'evidence.' The whole operation is designed to look organic."
My stomach dropped.
"Can you find who paid them?" Damon's voice was cold now.
"Working on it. These operations are designed to be untraceable. But we'll get there."
"How long?"
"Forty-eight hours. Maybe less."
"Make it less."
"Yes, sir."
Damon hung up. Looked at me.
"This wasn't random internet drama. Someone targeted you specifically."
I already knew that. Had suspected it the moment I saw how coordinated everything was.
My mind went immediately to Zelda.
She had motive. Hated me. Wanted me gone.
But I had no proof. Just suspicion.
"What are you going to do?" I asked.
"Find whoever did this. Make them regret it."
"I mean about the story. About the allegations."
He set his phone down. Turned to face me fully.
"Nothing."
I stared at him. "What?"
"The College Board is already investigating. They'll review your test. Interview the proctor. Check security footage."
"But the story is everywhere. My name is—"
"Let it run."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"You're not going to make this go away?"
He shook his head. "You didn't cheat. The College Board investigation will prove that."
His voice was calm. Certain.
Like it was that simple.
"If I step in now, bury the story, suppress the media..." He paused. "People will say I used money and power to cover up the truth."
He was right. I knew he was right.
But hearing it still felt like a punch to the gut.
"So I just... wait?"
"You wait. Let the investigation finish. Let the truth come out."
He reached out. Touched my face. Turned my head to look at him.
"You actually believe I didn't cheat?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
My heart was pounding.
"Why?" The word came out barely above a whisper. "Just because I'm your wife? Because I'm carrying your baby?"
"Isn't that enough?"
I couldn't speak. Couldn't process what he was saying.
He moved closer. His hand still on my face.
"I trust your character. I trust your intelligence."
His thumb brushed across my cheek.
"You're honest. You don't chase validation. You're grounded. Level-headed. Mature beyond your years."
Each word hit like a physical thing.
"I'll protect you. Support you. No matter what."
My eyes started burning.
No.
No crying.
I bit the inside of my cheek. Hard.
Forced it back.
Damon's expression softened. "Get some sleep. This'll all blow over by morning."
He stood up. Pulled back the covers on the bed.
Waited.
I climbed in. Felt numb. Exhausted.
He tucked the blanket around me. Like I was a child.
Walked over to the nightstand. Turned on the small lamp.
Soft golden light filled the corner of the room.
"Leave it on," he said quietly. "So you're not in the dark."
Then he left. Closed the door gently behind him.
I lay there. Staring at the ceiling.
Everyone had abandoned me. My family. The internet. Random strangers who'd never met me.
But Damon?
He believed me. Without question. Without doubt.
My chest felt warm.
The anger was fading. That cold rage that had been building all night.
I could finally breathe again.
The exhaustion hit me all at once.
My eyes felt heavy. My body sank deeper into the mattress.
The pillow was soft. The blanket warm.
The small lamp cast gentle shadows on the ceiling.
I watched them blur. Shift.
Being his wife might not be such a bad choice after all.
That was my last thought before sleep pulled me under.
I woke up three hours later.
The house was silent. The lamp still on.
I sat up. Listened.
Faint sounds from downstairs. Damon's office probably.
Earlier, my head had been a mess. Rage. Confusion. That helpless fury.
Now?
Crystal clear.
Cold. Focused.
I wasn't angry anymore.
The confusion was gone. The sadness. The helplessness.
What remained was pure intent.
I only wanted one thing now.
To hit back.