Tianna blinked hard, once, twice. Her throat was tight.
Her lips parted like she wanted to say something—but nothing came out.
Her mind spun wildly.
The image of her mother lying in that hospital bed. The doctors. The mounting bills.
The quiet nights where she cried alone, praying that this show, this game, would be her one chance to change everything.
It had all seemed so simple—at least, until now.
All she had to do was keep her relationship with Hugh a secret.
Just stay quiet, play it smart, and in the end, she would walk away with a million dollars.
Compared to winning the entire competition outright, it was the safer path. The easier path.
But then Ross appeared.
And with just a few words, everything she had carefully built began to crumble.
Her strategy. Her sacrifice. Her dream.
All of it—shattered.
She clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. She couldn't allow this. She wouldn't allow this.
