Cameras flashed, journalists jostled for better angles, and staffers buzzed like hornets trying to control the chaos. A row of sleek, branded banners lined the stage "Eon Heights: Building the Future" with the Vale Systems logo front and center. It was all perfectly curated.
And Elana Cole hated every glossy inch of it.
She hadn't planned on speaking today. She was here as an observer, dragged in by a last-minute invitation . But when she saw Liam Vale step up to the podium, all charm and tailored arrogance, something in her snapped.
He started with the usual buzzwords, polished projections, an animated graphic of shimmering towers with solar panels and smiling residents. The crowd clapped on cue.
"Eon Heights," Liam declared, "will redefine sustainable urban living. Zero-emissions infrastructure. Smart grids. Green innovation at scale."
Applause followed. Grace didn't move.
He fielded a few easy questions , zoning, job creation, partnerships. His answers were smooth, rehearsed, and hollow. Just when he thought he was in the clear, a reporter in the back raised her hand and redirected the room.
"Grace Cole ," the reporter called out. "You're here today ,any thoughts on Vale Systems' vision for D.C.?"
Everyone turned.
Grace hesitated for only a beat. Then she stepped forward.
Liam's expression flickered, just for a second. Surprise. Then interest.
She took the mic slowly, her voice steady. "Sure," she said, scanning the crowd. "I have thoughts."
Reporters leaned in. Cameras pivoted. She locked eyes with Liam before speaking again.
"What you just heard," Grace said, "wasn't a vision. It was a pitch deck dressed in green buzzwords."
A gasp rippled through the tent.
Liam's jaw tightened, but he didn't interrupt.
Grace continued. "Smart cities shouldn't come at the cost of the real communities that already exist. Eastwood Park isn't 'underutilized land' it's home. To families, small businesses, local history. You can't bulldoze a neighborhood and call it innovation."
The room was electric now. Phones recorded. Reporters scribbled like mad.
"And let's talk about sustainability," she added. "Zero-emissions towers don't mean much when the foundation is built on displacement and gentrification. This project isn't progress it's profit in disguise."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Liam stepped up beside her, his voice calm but cool. "May I respond?"
She handed him the mic without looking at him.
"Ms. Cole makes compelling points," he said, his smile razor-sharp. "But unlike some, I don't believe standing on the sidelines and pointing fingers qualifies as activism. Eon Heights is happening with or without her approval. The question is whether she wants to be part of the solution or just another critic with a headline."
The jab landed. Cameras caught every angle.
Grace smiled tightly. "If the solution is greenwashed gentrification, you can keep it."
She turned on her heel and left the tent, heels clicking like gunshots on the concrete.
By the time she reached her car, her phone was already buzzing. Group chats, news alerts, subject lines screaming:
"Governor's Daughter Takes Down Tech Tycoon Live."
"Grace Cole vs. Liam Vale: Clash of the Titans."
"Billion-Dollar Burnout: Vale Systems Under Fire."
She slumped into the back seat and closed her eyes.
What the hell had she just got herself into
….
Later that night, Grace stood barefoot in her apartment, watching the segment on the evening news. Her face flashed across the screen, framed by headlines and slow-motion replays. The press had turned it into a spectacle. Battle lines were drawn.
And Liam ??
He was already on damage control
She watched as he appeared live on another network, unruffled as ever, spinning charm like silk.
"Grace Cole is brilliant" he said. "And I welcome her criticism , in fact ," he looked directly into the camera " I'd like to invite her to the table. If she truly wants change, I'm ready to listen."
Grace narrowed her eyes.
That smug bastard.
He wasn't angry
He was intrigued