Location: Tavara – Central District, Nora's Private Medical Center
Rain tapped gently against the large glass windows of Nora's medical center. The smell of antiseptic, eucalyptus, and freshly brewed tea blended in the quiet ambiance of her office. Yet beneath the serene surface, a storm brewed.
Nora stood at the window, arms folded, mind racing. Elise had agreed to a meeting with Rebecca Vale—but only under strict conditions. Confidentiality. Neutral ground. No recordings. The kind of deal that didn't come easy with journalists who made their careers on truth grenades.
"I'll handle it," Nora told Damien earlier that morning. "She's a woman. She values stories. I'll give her one she can't publish… but one she won't want to destroy either."
A knock. Then Elise stepped in, sleek in black, umbrella in hand.
"She's here," Elise said. "And she's sharper than I remember."
Nora nodded, her posture unreadable. "Let her in."
Rebecca Vale walked in with confident grace, her eyes scanning the room. No gadgets. No entourage. Just her voice and her wits.
"You're braver than most," she said to Nora. "I've been trying to get this meeting for over a year."
"You've also been trying to ruin my fiancé's name," Nora said calmly, gesturing for her to sit.
Rebecca smiled. "Truth ruins nothing unless it was built on lies."
"Then you'll enjoy this," Nora replied, placing a small dossier on the table. "It's a medical case I handled six years ago. Off the record. A child trafficked into Tavara. Sold into the black market. Rescued by one of Damien's black ops units and brought to me half-alive."
Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"The child's name was Clara. I rebuilt her nervous system over six surgeries. That file contains every procedure, every trauma, every bribe paid to keep it quiet. Not to protect Damien, but to protect Clara."
Rebecca opened the dossier, reading in silence. Nora's voice lowered.
"Damien doesn't want his hands clean. He wants results. And if you're truly the voice for justice, you'll start asking who funded the trafficking ring in the first place."
Rebecca's fingers tightened around the file. "And let me guess… Arden Vos?"
"Start there," Nora said. "But be careful. Because if you follow the money long enough, you'll realize this isn't about Damien Kane. It's about the people terrified of what happens when he cleans house."
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Rebecca stood, her expression unreadable. "This isn't how I expected this meeting to go."
Nora offered a cold smile. "Truth rarely cooperates with expectations."
Rebecca left without another word.
Elise walked back in, closing the door behind her. "You think she'll back off?"
"No," Nora said. "She'll dig deeper. But now, she's digging in the right direction."
Outside, the rain stopped. But inside Nora, something else had begun to rise.
Resolve. Vengeance. Strategy.
This was no longer just about reputation.
It was a war of redemption—and she would wield truth like a weapon.