The television was muted, but the captions kept scrolling.

LEAKED VIDEO ROCKS CARTER FAMILY

CORPORATE HEIRESS AT CENTER OF SCANDAL

Mr. Carter stood near the window, hands clasped behind his back, staring out at the city like it had personally betrayed him.

Aria stood a few steps behind him, her arms folded tight across her chest.

“Dad,” she said quietly, breaking the silence. “The video is everywhere. This isn’t just gossip blogs anymore. It’s mainstream news.”

He didn’t turn.

“I know,” he said flatly. “My phone hasn’t stopped ringing since dawn.”

“So… what are we going to do?” Aria asked. “Because pretending it doesn’t exist isn’t working.”

He exhaled sharply...