Chapter 5: Scandal

One day, I was walking through the maple grove with my maid and overheard a group talking.

"She said plenty of Silver Hollow men have been in her bed."

"She danced barefoot—those outsiders loved it."

A boy in a blue blazer nudged the preppy kid next to him. "Derek’s crazy for the River Street dancers. Bet Natalie’s better. Why not help the Governor out and marry her?"

They all cracked up.

The preppy youth turned red. "My family’s been in Congress five generations—I’m not marrying someone like that."

"She’s lost her virtue. If I married her, my ancestors would roll in their graves."

My maid’s face went pale. She shouted, "Watch your mouth! Natalie married by order of the Governor. How many lives do you have to gossip about recklessly?"

I stepped forward, and the boys straightened up, suddenly sheepish. The wind rustled the red-gold leaves, scattering their bravado.

The preppy kid sneered at my feet, signaling to his friends. His eyes brimmed with contempt and mockery.

I sneered back, cold. "Virtue isn’t something a man can talk about or a woman can lose—it’s in the heart. If you’re blind, let me help you see."

"Security, detain him. Call the police for harassment and slander."

Panic erupted. The boys shouted about lawyers, their fathers, their rights.

"I’m a Senator’s heir! How dare you!"

I smiled coldly. "Not for long."

City Hall moved fast.

By the time Caleb arrived, Derek was being led away by paramedics, hands pressed to his face, blood seeping through his fingers. The ambulance lights flashed blue and red, and the crowd gawked as justice played out.

"Natalie, you’ll regret this! My aunt’s the Governor, my grandfather fought in World War II!"

I was unmoved. "Anyone else? If you’re here to gossip, get out. If you’re here to slander, talk to the police."

"You slut! Your lips have touched a thousand men!"

He barely finished before I picked up the ceremonial saber—my hand shook, my breath caught, the crowd gasped. I raised it, aiming for his chest, remembering my mother’s stories about pioneer women who fought back, even if it meant blood on their dresses.

"Clang—"

Caleb appeared, snapping his umbrella open and knocking the saber from my grip.

His eyes flashed cold. Everyone froze.

"Governor Price, are you stopping me?"

He folded his hands, voice calm. "I wouldn’t dare. Natalie was insulted. Let me handle these punks."

I stared at him a long moment. "Fine. They’re yours."

The news exploded—CNN, local TV, Instagram, Twitter hashtags like #SilverHollowScandal. Protesters crowded City Hall, reporters camped on the lawn. My phone blew up with group texts and missed calls.

Dad was ruthless—he launched an investigation, stripped Derek of his inheritance, and outmaneuvered the Grant family’s lawyers.

Governor Shannon held Senator Grant responsible on national TV. Her statement looped for days.

That night, Caleb interrogated the Silver Hollow captives and the city’s spoiled sons. He emerged at dawn, his white shirt stained with blood, looking like a demon dragged from hell. For the first time, I wondered if our ideals—justice, fairness, mercy—were just stories we told ourselves so we could sleep at night.

Derek cracked and took his own life. The Grant family went silent, too scared to fight back.

Everyone said Governor Price was upright and elegant. But for the city’s honor, he’d do anything.

It was the city’s honor, not mine.

Politics was all they talked about—never love.

Between Caleb and me, there was no more talk of love. The city called him a hero, but when I looked at Caleb, all I saw was the stranger my heart could never trust again.