Page 60 of Oliver

The lights were too bright.

The makeup girl had offered to cover my scar, but I told her to leave it. Let them see the truth—allof it.

The anchor smiled warmly from across the table. “You don’t have to answer anything you’re not comfortable with,” she said. “But whatever you say tonight… people are going to listen.”

I nodded, heartbeat a thunderclap in my chest. “That’s the point.”

In the control room, Oliver stood with Raven, arms folded across his chest, eyes fixed on me like he could shield me with just a look. Cyclone was outside guarding the van. Beatrice was watching with popcorn in one hand and a bat in the other.

The red light on the camera blinked on.

And just like that, I was live.

“Tonight, we welcome Olympic champion Emery Blake—not to talk about medals, but about survival. Emery, thank you for being here.”

I leaned forward, hands clasped. “Thank you for having me.”

The first few questions were soft. Easing me in.

Then came the pivot.

“Emery… there are rumors you were abducted. That the training facility you were at overseas wasn’t what it seemed. Are you ready to talk about that?”

I took a breath.

“Yes,” I said. “Because silence doesn’t protect anyone. It only protects the people who should be exposed.”

And then I told the world everything.

The secret deals.

The hidden surveillance.

The man who tried to erase me—and how I refused to disappear.

I left out names tied to national security, but I didn’t sugarcoat it. I showed the world what corruption looks like when it hides behind Olympic banners and smiles. I told them that surviving wasn’t enough—thatspeakingis survival too.

And when the interview ended, I walked off set to a wall of silence.

Then applause.

The entire crew clapped. Some even stood. The anchor was crying.

I made it two steps before Oliver was there, wrapping me in his arms.

“You were brilliant,” he whispered. “You werefire.”

I looked up at him. “Do you think they’ll come for me now?”

He cupped my cheek. “Let them try.”

His voice was calm. Lethal.

And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like prey.

I felt like aweapon.

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