Eva Volkov sat frozen, staring at the darkened monitor. The once-buzzing room was now eerily quiet, save for the fading echo of footsteps. Her team had fled, leaving her alone in the wreckage of her perfectly curated life. The glamorous world she had built—the influencer lifestyle that kept her at arm’s length from politics—had just crumbled before her eyes.

They had abandoned her in seconds. Just moments ago, they were all swearing loyalty, love, commitment. She had made them rich—gold out of nothing. How could they vanish without even pretending to care? They know what’s coming, Sofia’s voice whispered sharply, detached, from deep within her mind. They’re not just running from the chaos—they’re running from you.

Eva’s gaze flickered to the door where the last of the production crew had disappeared, fleeing from the government’s inevitable wrath. No, no. This can’t be happening. Her mind scrambled to rationalize what had just unfolded. I didn’t do anything. She was just a face, a brand, a voice for the masses. She had nothing to do with the rebellion’s message, and yet… that fucking glitch. It had to be a hacking! She was a victim!

Sofia stirred, more alive now than she had been in years, her voice cold and steady. You’re a liability. And they won’t care about your innocence. Eva stood slowly, her legs trembling, but her head high. I can fix this. I’ve fixed worse. She took a deep breath, her posture straightening, the familiar mask of confidence slipping back into place. Eva Volkov, the woman who could sell anything, who could survive anything, would spin this into something better. It’s just another challenge. I can turn this around.

But there was no one left to witness her show. Her followers, her audience, her team—gone. And Sofia, buried deep beneath the gloss of Eva’s persona, was still there, whispering. You think you’re in control? They’ll come for you. They’ll come for us. No one can fix this. You’ll have to play along, be smart, and find an angle.

Eva grabbed her phone from the table, trying to focus on something—anything—other than Sofia’s voice. She dialed Marcus’s number. He’d know what to do. He always had the right connections, the right words to handle a crisis. Marcus was pragmatic, sure, but he wouldn’t leave her to handle this alone. He couldn’t. She was too valuable.

The phone rang once. Twice. Then a click.

“Marcus!” Eva’s voice cracked, her mask slipping for a moment. “Where are you? You saw what happened. We need to get ahead of this.”

Silence on the other end. Eva frowned, waiting for his familiar, reassuring voice. But all she heard was a cold sigh.

“I’m sorry, Eva. You’re on your own.”

Her blood ran cold. “What? No, Marcus, you can’t—”

“I have a career to think about, a life…” he said, his tone devoid of its usual charm. “This is too big. Too dangerous. You need to lay low, disappear for a while. But don’t involve me. You’ve already been branded.”

Branded. The word struck like a blade between her ribs.

“You’re abandoning me, you little fucker?” Eva’s voice rose, anger flaring for the first time since the stream had been hijacked. “After everything we’ve built? After all I’ve done for you?”

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“We didn’t build anything,” Marcus replied, his voice colder than she had ever heard. “You were an asset, a pretty asset, Eva. That’s all. And assets get dumped when they become liabilities.”

Before she could respond, the line went dead.

Eva stood there, staring at the phone as the silence buzzed in her ears. Marcus, the man who had helped shape her career, was gone the moment she became too much of a risk. She never really liked him, but he had been reliable, efficient, maybe the closest thing to a friend she had. He was her main relationship, far more relevant than any past lover, even the real ones that weren’t just for show.

Sofia’s voice surged to the forefront of her mind, more cutting now. He was never your friend. He never cared about you. He cared about what you could give him. And now you’re toxic.

Eva clenched her fists, her heart pounding in her chest. No. No, I’m not toxic. I can fix this. She paced the room, her mind racing for a solution. She had survived in this world because she knew how to stay in the shadows, how to play both sides without getting caught. This was just another situation she had to maneuver through. I just need time. I need—

Her phone buzzed in her hand. A glimmer of hope surged, but quickly dimmed when she saw Karen’s name on the screen. Her assistant. Her irritatingly loyal, loud-chewing assistant. Not much more than a cog in the machine of Eva’s life. Still, Eva answered, forcing her voice to sound calm.

“Karen,” she began, “we need to get in front of this. I need to know who’s still with me. We need damage control…”

Karen’s panicked voice cut through the air. “Eva, I—I can’t. I can’t be involved anymore.”

“What?” Eva stopped pacing, her heart sinking. “Karen, I pay you to—”

“I know, but this is… It’s too dangerous. I’m sorry. I can’t do this. I have my family, and—look, you understand, don’t you?”

Eva’s fingers tightened around the phone, the betrayal striking deeper than expected. You’re all I have left, Karen. But the words stuck in her throat, replaced with cold fury. “I understand.”

Karen hesitated, her voice trembling. “I’m sorry. Really, I am.”

The line went dead. Eva stared at the phone in her hand, the reality of her situation crashing down on her. She was alone. Truly alone. Her team had abandoned her. Marcus had cut her off. Karen had turned her back. And soon, the government would come for her.

You should have seen this coming, Sofia’s voice hissed in the back of her mind. You’ve built your life on lies, and now it’s falling apart. You’re about to be kicked out of Eden by an invisible glitchy snake. I’m not the snake. No, there’s something deeper here, something we’re not seeing. Think!

“No,” Eva whispered, her voice shaking but defiant. “I can fix this.”

But even as she said the words, the echo of Sofia’s voice inside her head made her doubt them. She didn’t know how to fix this. The rebellion’s message had been blasted to millions of people. They had hijacked her platform, turned her into a symbol of resistance she had never asked to be. No, no, no! She was a victim. A victim of a cybercrime! They had to see it.

Who? The government? They’d want someone to blame.

Her phone buzzed again, but this time it wasn’t a call. It was a text.

We’re outside. Come with us.

The room seemed to close in on her. Eva backed up, her chest tightening with fear. She glanced at the door, shadows creeping closer. No. No, no, no. Her mind raced for a way out, for some escape route, but there was none.

Sofia’s voice cut through the panic, clear and bitter. They’re not giving you a choice. You’re not Eva Volkov anymore. You’re a target.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and two Conglomerate agents stormed in. Their expressions unreadable, their intentions clear. Eva instinctively stepped back, her heart pounding.

One of the men stepped forward, his face cold and impassive. “Miss Volkov, you need to come with us.”

Eva froze, her carefully controlled façade crumbling. I didn’t do anything wrong. She raised her hands, her voice trembling. “There’s been a mistake. I didn’t—”

“Miss Volkov, come with us. Now.”

Sofia’s voice surged forward in her mind, icy and unforgiving. You’re not Eva Volkov anymore. Not to them. You’re a tool they need to control.

Eva glanced at the dead monitor, the words from the rebel message still burning in her mind: You are being controlled.

It was true. She was once a useful product; now she was a defective one. What would come of that? They would decide. She had no voice in it. Merchandise has no voice—only the Conglomerate does.