Carmen: The Woman Behind the Curtain
Setting: New York, six months after Ava's vow renewal
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Carmen Vale had spent her life polishing other people's images.
She could destroy a headline in five minutes, flip a scandal on its head in two. CEOs feared her. Journalists respected her. Billionaires hired her before they hired lawyers.
But what no one knew?
Was that Carmen Vale had once burned her entire life to the ground.
And now, she was building something new. For herself.
---
Sinclair House – Executive Floor
The office overlooking the skyline wasn't Ava's. Not anymore. This one was Carmen's now—head of Sinclair's Media Division and public liaison for the Ava Sinclair Foundation.
Her phone buzzed. Again.
Another male executive telling her what "tone" she should use.
She rolled her eyes and hit block.
"You okay?" Ava's voice came from the doorway.
Carmen didn't look up. "Just fending off another man who thinks the word firm means bitchy."
Ava laughed. "It's because they're scared of you."
"Good. They should be."
Ava entered and placed a croissant on Carmen's desk. "Peace offering. I need your blessing before I announce Arabella's name officially."
Carmen arched a brow. "You're asking me for approval now?"
"I respect fear as a management tool," Ava said with a wink.
Carmen snorted. "Well, if you're asking release it on a Monday morning. Beat the cycle. Let them fall in love with the name before they remember you used to be the 'spoiled Sinclair heiress.'"
Ava grinned. "See? Still the best in the game."
---
Later That Night — A Voice from the Past
The bar was upscale, quiet, dim.
Carmen didn't do loud. Not anymore.
She sat with a scotch in hand, blazer sharp, heels off, scrolling through contracts on her tablet.
"Still conquering empires from the shadows?" a deep voice said behind her.
She froze.
Turned.
And saw Gideon Shaw.
The man she once almost married.
And the one who leaked her first PR scandal ten years ago.
She stood slowly. "You've got some nerve walking in here."
"I wanted to say I'm sorry," he said, softer than she expected. "You didn't deserve what I did. I was scared of your success. And you made me feel small."
Carmen stared at him, unblinking. "You were small."
He flinched.
She turned back to her drink.
But just as he moved to leave, she added without looking—
> "You're five years too late for me to care. But thanks for confirming I was never the problem."
---
A New Offer
The next morning, Carmen received an email.
From Maison Vérité, a global luxury brand asking her to lead their ethics board and front their new campaign about redemption, power, and rebuilding female reputations in media.
She stared at the subject line.
> "The World is Watching. We Want Carmen Vale."
She smirked.
Typed back two words:
> "Let's talk."
Ava's Balcony
That night, Carmen joined Ava and Damien on the penthouse balcony. Arabella slept upstairs. The city was a blur of lights.
"You're leaving," Ava said knowingly.
"Not leaving," Carmen replied. "Expanding. Besides, Lucien's the new media darling anyway."
Damien raised a brow. "I heard he's dating an arms dealer's daughter."
Carmen shrugged. "It's Lucien. At least she's not boring."
They laughed.
But Ava reached over and touched her friend's hand.
"I wouldn't have survived this without you."
Carmen looked at her. Voice steady. "You didn't survive. You rose. I just helped you clear the smoke."