Chapter 2

Hannah Eaton POV:

My words hung in the air, acidic and raw. A ripple of gasps swept through the theater. The elegant facade of the podcast launch shattered, replaced by a frenzied buzz.

Flashbulbs popped like firecrackers as reporters, sensing blood in the water, began to stir. Whispers turned into shouts. "Is that really her?" "The kidnapping survivor?" "She's saying it's a lie?" The crowd was a living, breathing entity, its mood shifting from adulation to confusion, then to outright hostility.

The host, a polished man used to controlling narratives, stammered, "Ma'am, please, this is not the appropriate forum for..."

"Appropriate?" I cut him off, my voice gaining strength. "You think this is appropriate? Exploiting my trauma, twisting my words, turning me into a villain for your entertainment?"

I started walking, each step deliberate, my eyes fixed on Erik. The stage suddenly seemed miles away, then terrifyingly close. Security guards in crisp black suits moved, trying to intercept me, but the surging mass of reporters and curious audience members created a human shield. Their microphones thrust towards me, their questions a barrage of noise.

"Ms. Eaton, what are you accusing them of?"

"Are these claims of a hoax true?"

"Who gave them your private information?"

Their voices were a blur, but nothing could drown out the memory of Erik's touch, his words that had once stitched me back together. You are safe with me, Hannah. I will always protect you. He had said that when I was still raw and broken, a fragile bird in his care. He was the only person who truly understood the nightmares, the panic attacks, the constant ache of fear. He had been my anchor, my hope. My everything.

Now, as I stood before him, the stage lights blinding, I saw him for what he truly was. A polished facade, a betrayer. He stood frozen, his eyes wide and vacant, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"Erik," I said, my voice barely a whisper, but it echoed in the sudden silence. "What did you tell her? About the kidnappers? About me?"

He just stared, his lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. His hands, which had once held mine so tenderly, now trembled at his sides.

I stepped closer, invading his personal space. His breath hitched. "Did you tell her I was manipulative? Did you tell her I orchestrated it all?" My voice rose with each question, a crescendo of pain and fury. "Answer me, Erik!"

Blaire, seeing Erik' s paralysis, stepped forward, her hand on his arm, a possessive gesture. "Ms. Eaton, I understand you're upset. But we're simply presenting a new perspective. Dr. Nichols' insights were invaluable." Her tone was patronizing, designed to dismiss me as an emotional woman.

I swatted her hand away, my gaze still locked on Erik. "Don't you dare touch him," I hissed. Then, I turned to Blaire, my voice echoing through the stunned silence of the room. "And you want to know what's really happening? This 'Dr. Nichols' you're so indebted to? He' s my fiancé."

The revelation landed like a bombshell. Blaire' s confident smirk vanished, replaced by open-mouthed shock. Her eyes darted from me to Erik, searching for confirmation, for a denial.

Erik, however, couldn't meet her gaze. He looked away, his jaw tight, his betrayal laid bare for the world to see.

The room was utterly silent. No flashbulbs, no murmurs. Every single eye in the theater was fixed on the three of us-the traumatized survivor, the renowned psychiatrist, and the ruthless podcaster-caught in a tableau of public humiliation and raw, exposed secrets. The conflict, so deeply personal, had erupted into a spectacle, and there was no turning back.