Chapter 6

By seven that evening, the video had been viewed twelve million times.

Camille had given one interview to the Times and declined a dozen others. The hospital had issued a brief statement confirming that a patient had been "involved in an incident" on the maternity floor and that security footage had been reviewed with law enforcement. The statement mentioned no names, but the video did the work instead.

Eleanor's Instagram had gone silent. The post she'd made that morning—her claim of being the victim of a "vicious attack"—had been deleted, then reinstated, then deleted again. Her publicist released a statement that had been clearly written by lawyers, which began with "Out of respect for the ongoing police investigation—"

Richard Sterling, sitting in the chair beside his niece's bed, put his phone down and let out a low laugh.

"The DA's office called an hour ago. They're convening a grand jury on Tuesday. Assault, attempted involuntary manslaughter, and a few additional charges the consultant is still working on." He looked at Camille. "You won't need to testify in person if you don't want to. The recordings are more than sufficient."

"They can have whatever they need." Camille shifted, wincing as her ribs protested. "Did they mention what she's been doing since last night?"

"You'll enjoy this." Richard leaned back. "She called her brother. The one who's a lawyer in Connecticut. He advised her to stay offline and say nothing. She responded by posting to her finsta—which she thought was private—and calling him a coward. Someone screenshotted it, and it's now online."

Camille closed her eyes. "She's spiraling."

"She's realizing that everything she built was built on a mask, and the mask just dissolved." Richard's voice was satisfied. "The whole city is watching. Her friends are distancing themselves. Her brand partnerships are being 'paused.' The fashion house she was supposed to headline at Fashion Week announced they're 'reconsidering their association' within the same hour the video went viral."

"Good."