Lucas’s POV

It started with a headline.

“Senator Clark Condemns Online Misinformation Campaign: Calls Accusations Against Daughter ‘Unstable Ramblings.’”

I scrolled through the article slowly—not because I cared to absorb every carefully written lie, but because I liked watching it unfold. They’d crafted it well. Tight structure. Clear villain. All the right buzzwords.

The senator’s face filled the screen. Polished, composed, deeply ...