Chapter 3

"You're insane! Fiona, you've lost your mind!"

Adrian lunged like a cornered beast, roaring as he tried to grab my phone.

I'd anticipated this. I stepped back and slammed the door shut with a bang, locking him outside.

"Fiona! Open the door! Delete that post! Do you hear me!"

He pounded frantically on the door, shouting, drawing neighbors who poked their heads out curiously.

I ignored him, quickly grabbed the suitcase I'd already packed, woke Lily, and slipped out through the fire escape.

I'd known he'd come, so I'd booked a hotel in advance.

After settling Lily, I contacted Julian Smith, the country's top rights protection attorney, and several media outlets known for in-depth investigative reporting.

Julian's team was extremely efficient. We met that afternoon.

After carefully verifying all the evidence I'd provided, Julian pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and gave me a definitive answer.

"Ms. Monroe, rest assured. This case is a guaranteed win. Not only can we recover all the royalties and compensation you're owed, but we'll make Adrian and the publishing house pay a devastating price."

Looking at this calm, professional, powerful man before me, my anxious heart finally settled.

That evening, the internet exploded.

"Adrian Walker Ghostwriting Scandal" surged to the top of trending topics with unstoppable force, followed by a deep red "EXPLOSIVE" tag.

Countless readers, fans, and onlookers flooded my Reddit. The comment section was absolute chaos.

Some accused me of chasing clout, desperate for fame.

[This is ridiculous. Adrian needs a ghostwriter? His talent is universally recognized!]

[Another D-list nobody trying to climb up by stepping on a celebrity. Case closed.]

[Screenshot saved. Waiting for Adrian's legal team to destroy her.]

But some rational longtime readers detected something in my writing style.

[Wait... this "Lynn" person's writing style seems so similar to Adrian's early work. I remember Adrian became famous with "Return on a Snowy Night," but his later books always felt like something was missing.]

[I thought so too! Especially his recent book "A Dream of Life"—it felt so hollow, completely lacking his earlier brilliance.]

[The more I think about it, the scarier it gets... If the ghostwriting is real, what have we been fans of all these years?]

Public opinion split into two camps, arguing explosively.

Adrian and the publishing house responded quickly.

They jointly issued a strongly-worded statement, calling this baseless slander and defamation against me personally, and stating they would reserve the right to pursue legal action.

Rachel was the first to share the statement, adding: [Truth will prevail. I believe in Adrian's character and talent. Don't let yourselves be deceived by people with ulterior motives.]

Her "righteous stand" won her considerable praise and successfully redirected attacks toward me.

[Rachel's right! We believe in Adrian!]

[This Fiona person is Adrian's ex-wife, right? Getting revenge after divorce by throwing mud—how vicious!]

[Probably didn't get money in the divorce settlement, so now she's bitter and wants to destroy Adrian.]

Reading these comments, I just smiled.

Let them have their last night of denial.

After tomorrow, they'd know what it meant to fall from the clouds into hell.