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Three weeks of carefully choreographed meetings followed. Coffee. Dinner. Drinks lasting until two in the morning.

Elly sent Niall pages from her novel. Scenes about betrayal that cut close enough to truth to feel dangerous. He provided feedback, editorial notes sharp and insightful.

They hadn't slept together yet.

Elly held back deliberately, letting tension build. She needed him invested before revealing herself.

Thursday night in early March, Niall invited her to his Tribeca apartment.

The space matched her expectations. Minimalist furniture. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Hudson River views.

He poured wine and they sat on his couch, talking about everything and nothing.

"I need to tell you something," Elly said finally, setting down her glass.

Her hands shook. She didn't have to fake it. This was the moment everything could fall apart.

Niall turned, concerned. "What is it?"

"My name isn't Elly Reed. It's Elly Reeds." She watched his face carefully. "And three years ago, I dated Dave Maxell."

Silence stretched between them.

Niall's expression shifted through emotions. Confusion. Recognition. Something resembling fear.

"The Sound of Shattering," he said quietly.

"Is built from my text messages. My words. My pain." Elly's voice steadied. "He stole everything from me and turned it into character assassination. And you published it."

Niall stood and walked to the window. Stood there for a long moment, back to her.

When he finally spoke, his voice was strained.

"I suspected. From the beginning, I suspected it was too raw, too specific to be pure fiction." He turned around. "But I didn't know for certain. The publisher wanted it. Dave swore it was all invented."

"Did you believe him?"

"I wanted to." Niall ran a hand through his hair. "That's not the same thing. I know. I've been carrying this guilt for two years."

Elly hadn't expected honesty. She'd expected defensiveness. Denial. Maybe anger at being deceived.

The guilt in his voice threw her off balance.

"Why are you telling me this now?" Niall asked.

"Because I want to destroy him. I want to write an exposé revealing exactly what he did, and I need your help." She stood and crossed to where he stood. "You have access to his original manuscripts. His notes. His emails. You can prove he stole my words."

"That would end my career."

"Good. You deserve it."

The words came out harsher than intended. She didn't take them back.

Niall flinched. Then, unexpectedly, laughed. A bitter sound.

"You're right. I probably do." He looked at her. "How long have you been planning this? The accidental meeting at the gala. The drinks. The manuscript pages. All of it calculated."

"Yes."

"That's impressively ruthless." He sat down heavily. "What makes you think I'll help you?"

"Because you said you've been carrying guilt. Here's your chance to fix it." Elly sat beside him, close but not touching. "And because part of you wants to see him fall as much as I do."

Niall stayed quiet for a long time.

Then he reached for his phone and opened his email.

"The publisher keeps everything on a secure server, but I downloaded copies before the edits. Cover-your-ass insurance, in case Dave ever tried throwing me under the bus." He pulled up a file and handed her the phone. "Read the first page."

Elly took the phone and began reading.

Within seconds, she recognized her own words. Barely disguised.

Her texts about his infidelity. Her confrontation about his lies. Her desperate attempts to understand why he'd hurt her.

All copy-pasted into dialogue with minimal changes.

"He didn't even try to hide it," she whispered.

"No. He thought he could get away with it because you'd never see the original draft." Niall took the phone back. "I can get you everything. Manuscripts. Emails. Editorial notes. But you need to understand what you're asking. This won't just destroy Dave. It'll destroy me too. The industry will blacklist everyone involved in this mess."

"Are you saying no?"

"I'm saying I need to think about it." He looked at her. "Can you give me forty-eight hours?"

Elly stood. She'd pushed as far as she could tonight.

"Forty-eight hours. But Niall, if you warn him or try covering this up, I'll find another way. And I'll make sure everyone knows you were complicit."

"I believe you." He walked her to the door. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I should have pushed back harder. Should have insisted on verification."

"Sorry doesn't give me back the year I spent being publicly humiliated."

"I know. But it's all I have right now."

Elly left without another word.

She walked six blocks before letting herself stop and breathe.

Her whole body shook. Adrenaline and fear and something close to triumph mixed together.

Her phone buzzed. Niall's name on the screen.

My apartment. Now. Dave just called. He knows someone's been asking questions about the manuscript.