Chapter 946:
With a hard glare, Vivian threw her last threat at Brandon. “Don’t forget, Brandon. I still have Millie’s private photos. Think about what could happen if they get out.”
Brandon’s hold on her arm grew even tighter.
A harsh, almost bitter laugh escaped Vivian’s lips.
There was nothing left to keep civil. Everything had already come to light, after all.
“Let’s not kid ourselves, Brandon,” she said, her voice cutting through the tension. “Those photos—Macauley and I had them. You went after every single stash, tore apart every hiding place, destroyed what you could, just to make sure nothing leaked. You even agreed to be with me for half a year for that. I always knew you were waiting for me to drop dead so you could sweep everything away.”
Vivian let out a wild, mocking laugh.
“Bet you didn’t expect that Macauley was gone. You can pour all your money into tracking hackers around the clock, but do you really think you can stop him from dropping those photos in every corner of Crobert? Do you honestly believe Millie could handle that kind of storm? Could you?”
Fury tightened Brandon’s hand around her throat. For a moment, it looked like he might snap.
“So that’s it—you’re just threatening me now?”
Vivian flashed him a wicked grin, her eyes filled with defiance.
“This was always a threat, Brandon. It’s always been a game of leverage,” she taunted, her voice growing cold. “Let me spell it out for you—I’ll make sure those photos go public if you so much as think about crossing me. I don’t care if I’m on my deathbed—if I lose, Millie’s going down too. Macauley’s still out there, and you haven’t managed to catch him. You’re out of options. Give me what I want and let me walk free. If he can’t reach me, if he hears I’m locked away or finds out I’m dead, the entire city’s going to see Millie’s compromising photos splashed—”
Vivian bared her teeth in a vicious smile.
𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓵 𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 @ 𝓰ⱥ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⸳𝓬𝓸𝓶
“There won’t be enough hackers in the world to contain the mess when that happens.”
Brandon’s grip became a vise. Vivian’s breaths turned shallow, her skin shifting to a dark, bruised purple as she fought for air.
Hatred flickered in Brandon’s gaze as he stared down at her. A memory intruded—one he never wanted to recall.
He had been summoned to Vivian’s home in a panic, told she was collapsing and coughing up blood.
She had never done anything like that before, and this time, he saw it for himself. There was no mistaking what was real.
Blood poured from her mouth in thick streams, and the floor was littered with empty liquor bottles, some tipped over, some still rolling slightly.
The moment he saw her like that, he rushed to take her to the hospital, but she wouldn’t let him.
When he tried to insist, she shoved him off. Her arm struck the tablet resting nearby.
The screen came to life, and that was when he caught sight of the photos.
One glimpse at the tablet and Brandon went completely still.
Those were Millie’s photos—ones Hayden had taken years before.
Brandon thought he had covered every base. He had Macauley and his crew under tight control, tore through their homes and devices, scoured every account, and made sure every last copy of those photos was destroyed. Even the original source had been erased. Brandon believed he had wiped them from existence completely.
.
.
.