Chapter 202

BLACKSTONE’S POV I had planned every second of this day. From the polished lapel of my suit to the exact moment the cameras would cut to my rehearsed smile, this was meant to be the final nail in Andrea Carter’s coffin. A public shaming. A demonstration of power. A declaration that order had returned to New York City under my watch. The stage was set. The screens were up. My security detail stood poised at every corner like silent sentinels. I could feel the electric buzz of anticipation as thousands gathered—citizens, reporters, council members, foreign dignitaries, even. All here to witness the spectacle of justice I’d created for them. Nothing could have prepared me for the reality of becoming the spectacle myself. “You wanted transparency, Blackstone?” The look in Andrea Carter’s eyes sent a stab of ice through my spine. “Enjoy being fucking see-through.” When the screen flickered, at first, I thought it was a minor technical issue. Perhaps a wire had come loose. My tech team had t