The wave of public support was a strange, disorienting thing. Lyra watched the positive comments replace the hateful ones, feeling a cautious sense of relief. It was validation, but it was also a new kind of pressure. The #StarlightGhost was no longer just hers; she belonged to everyone.
“One step at a time,” Zara said, placing a glass of water in her hand. “You won the battle. Now we focus on the war. And that means staying calm and healthy.”
They were watching the evening news, tracking the fallout. Lyra’s performance was the lead story on every channel. Inevitably, the coverage shifted to the other side of the scandal.
A local news segment began, a soft-focus piece on Isolde’s “brave fight.” It was a puff piece, designed to generate sympathy and promote an upcoming fundraiser for `The Finch Foundation`.
“Despite her own harrowing struggle,” the reporter narrated, “Isolde Finch continues to dedicate her time to helping others.”
An image of Isolde appeared on screen, smiling serenely from a hospital bed. A caption appeared beneath her name. Then, another man appeared, identified as the foundation’s chief medical advisor.
“Her primary oncologist, the renowned Dr. Alistair Finch, has been a pillar of support for the foundation,” the reporter continued.
Zara leaned closer to the screen, her brow furrowed. “Dr. Finch?”
The name snagged on something in her memory. It wasn’t a name she knew personally, but it was one she had heard before, years ago, in a professional context. It was a whisper in a hospital hallway, a rumor attached to a research paper that was quietly retracted. Something about questionable data or a malpractice claim that was settled and sealed.
It was a faint flicker, a ghost of a memory. But it was there.
The news report moved on, but Zara didn’t hear it. She stared at the screen, the name echoing in her mind. Dr. Alistair Finch.
Lyra had won her victory on a public stage, with a song.
Zara had just found the key to winning hers in the quiet, methodical world of medical records and professional histories.
She had a lead.
About the Author
