{Press Conference}

Thalia pulled up in front of the grand hall, camera flashes hitting her windshield like a thousand tiny explosions. The noise outside was deafening, reporters shouting her name, microphones raised up, cameras clicking nonstop.

For a moment, she just sat there, her fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly as she drew in a deep breath. Her heart was pounding, not from fear, but from exhaustion, getting there she felt tired, so tired.

She had already cried all her tears at home. Now, she was here to face them.

She reached for the door handle and stepped out gracefully, every movement calm, measured and calculated like a woman refusing...