MAYA

I tried to stand up from the swing, but the man stepped forward, completely blocking my path.

“What about Matthew Sterling?” the reporter pressed, shoving the phone closer to my face. “Are you still seeing him? Was Silas Blackwood the reason you left your ex?”

Panic flared violently in my chest. The mention of Liam—even mislabeled and twisted by the media—made my breath catch completely.

“No comment,” I said, my voice trembling as I tried to sidestep him. “Please, move away.”

“Did you leave your old life just for the Blackwood fortune?” he pushed, completely ignoring my plea. He kept shifting his weight, physically trapping me between the chains...