The Public Claim

Staring directly at Vance across the crowded room, Sloane did not flinch under the heavy gaze of the entire production crew. The silence in the private dining hall felt suffocating. Everyone held their breath, waiting for her to crack under Tasha's malicious question.

"Not even on my death bed. No, I would not," Sloane declared. Her voice rang out with a cold, resolute finality that shattered the