Chapter 43

• Samantha’s POV
• The waiting room outside the press conference felt more like a cage than a refuge. I could hear the hum of voices beyond the doors, reporters murmuring, cameras clicking, microphones being tested. Each sound tightened the knot in my stomach until it felt like I could barely breathe. Jack sat beside me, his hand resting on my knee in silent reassurance, but even his touch wasn’t enough to calm the storm inside me.
• “You don’t have to do this,” he said softly, his voice a steady anchor. “We can find another way.”