Sophia didn't sleep.
The clock on the wall moved from one in the morning to two. Then three. The Council's file remained open on her laptop. Sebastian's photograph was still on the screen.
So was Vivian's.
Beneath them were pages of financial records, travel schedules, payment transfers, and carefully constructed documents designed to make Sebastian appear guilty.
Sophia had seen fabricated evidence before. This was different.
The evidence wasn't meant to survive a courtroom. It only needed to survive suspicion. One leaked document.
One anonymous source.
One journalist willing to publish before asking questions.
That would be enough.
By morning, the story could spread across Valenridge. By evening, Sebastian could be fighting for his presidency. Sophia closed the laptop.
She walked to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. Her hands were shaking. She hated that.
