Shattered Vows, Shining Crown

Chapter 28: Fame’s Double-Edged Sword

The next morning, Amara woke to a dozen text messages and hundreds of notifications. Her speech at The Crown Table had gone viral overnight. Everywhere she looked, she saw her own face — on timelines, on blogs, on television panels dissecting every word she said.

Her boutique phone rang nonstop with interview requests. Influencers wanted collaborations, women’s organizations wanted her to speak, and even brands that had ignored her before were now reaching out.

Darius watched her pace the living room, phone in hand, brow furrowed. “You’ve become a symbol, Amara. This is bigger than the boutique now. Bigger than the Crown Table.”

She sighed, sinking onto the couch. “It feels like the higher I rise, the more people are waiting for me to fall. What if I can’t live up to this?”

Darius sat beside her, his hand covering hers. “Symbols don’t have to be perfect. They just have to be real. And you’ve always been real.”

---

Follow blastserial.com for New Episodes

---

But with the spotlight came shadows. Amara noticed the way some neighbors looked at her differently now — admiration in some eyes, envy in others. A stranger even snapped her photo at the grocery store without asking.

The fame she never asked for was creeping into every corner of her life, and though she wore her crown proudly, she could feel the weight pressing harder on her shoulders.

And far away, Jason was watching every headline, every clip, every rising cheer. To him, it wasn’t a celebration. It was a challenge.