Adira's POV
The headlines hit before sunrise.
Adira Williams' Secret Backer Revealed: Tech Mogul Jayden Craig
Is the "Self-Made" Entrepreneur Really Self-Made?
Twin Rivalry Heats Up Ashley Models, Adira Borrows Money, Jayden in the Middle.
By the time I reached my office, my staff were already on edge. Phones ringing. Emails flooding in. My assistant had dark circles under her eyes.
Investors wanted explanations. Journalists wanted statements. My empire my empire was suddenly being questioned, not for its numbers, not for its success, but for whether I had built it on my own.
Ashley had won this round.
Sam stormed into my office at noon, lab coat swapped for jeans, fury in her eyes. Tiana trailed behind her, carrying coffee like she was ready to take on the world.
"This is disgusting," Sam fumed, tossing a tabloid onto my desk. "As if you didn't bleed for this company. As if Jayden writing a cheque erases years of you grinding while Ashley posed for magazines."
Tiana crossed her arms. "They're painting you like you're some spoiled heiress playing at business. We can't let this stand, Addy."
I rubbed my temples. "That's exactly the problem. If I respond, it'll look defensive. If I stay silent, it'll look like I'm guilty."
Sam leaned in, her voice gentler now. "You've always hated being underestimated. Don't let Ashley turn this into something it's not."
I looked between them my best friend and my boarding school sister and for the first time in a long while, I didn't feel like I was drowning alone.
Still, the storm was real.
Jayden's POV
I watched the chaos unfold from CraigTech's glass tower. The gossip, the speculation, the vultures circling.
And I knew Adira's instinct would be to fight alone. To grit her teeth and weather it.
But this time, I wasn't going to stay in the shadows.
Ashley had forced the spotlight onto us. So I'd use it.
Not just to protect my investment.
But to show the world what I had always known.
That Adira Williams wasn't just a name, or a headline, or a twin. She was a force.
And if the world doubted her now, I would make sure they never forgot her again.
Ashley's POV
The blogs were feasting. The gossip was everywhere.
Exactly as I planned.
Let Jayden play white knight all he wanted. The damage was already done. My sister's "self-made" image was cracked.
And soon, the cracks would spread.
Because I had more stories to tell.
And the world was finally listening.