Blood and Celluloid

The throne is empty. Now Val must learn who she is without it.Three years after stepping down as CEO, Valentina Roberts teaches ethics at UCLA, runs the Roberts Institute for Ethical Leadership, and tries to rebuild a life that matters. Her uncle Sal lives independently now-released early from federal prison, working at the Institute as part of his community placement program, meeting with his parole officer every Tuesday.They're both rebuilding. Slowly. One day at a time.Then Noel Reed returns-the first executive Val destroyed a decade ago. He's writing a book about toxic corporate culture and wants Val as his central case study. Facing him means confronting every person she hurt, every choice she regrets, every scar she left behind.Meanwhile, the Institute fights its biggest battle: supporting Jenny Martinez, a young production assistant exposing a powerful director's harassment. Val can't use her old methods-threats, intimidation, mob connections. She has to fight legally. Ethically. Slowly.And she's getting engaged. Learning vulnerability. Building a relationship with someone who sees all of her-monster and human-and chooses to stay.Book Five isn't about climbing higher. It's about living meaningfully after walking away from the summit. About whether redemption is real. Whether people can truly change. Whether Uncle Sal can mentor at-risk youth despite his parole. Whether life after the throne is worth the sacrifice.This is Val's final test: Can she build a life that matters when no one's keeping score? Can she become someone worth being when power no longer defines her? Can Uncle Sal prove his transformation is real while still under supervision?In Hollywood, everyone chases the throne. Val walked away from it. This is what happened next. P. A. Farrell is a psychologist and published author with McGraw-Hill, Springer Publishing, Cafe Lit, Ravens Perch, Humans of the World, Active Muse, Free Spirit Publishing, Scarlet Leaf Review, 100 Word Project, Woodcrest Magazine, Confetti, and LitBreak. She's a top health writer for Medium.com, has published self-help books, and is a board member of Clinics4Life. She lives on the East Coast of the US.