Heather always figured Juztin was just an ordinary guy. On their live show, both he and his sister came off as pretty down-home, which only reinforced her belief that they didn''te from any significant background.


    Even when she found out Juztin''sst name was Howe, she didn''t connect him to the famous Howe family her mom sometimes mentioned. So, when her cousin started spreading dirt online, Heather didn''t step in.


    Even when Juztin and his sister''swyer brother sent a cease-and-desist, Heather felt a bit wary at first but then brushed it off. After all, what could a singlewyer do against the powerful Pledger family?


    With that in mind, she called her cousin''s managementpany, dropping the Pledger family name to throw her weight around. Though they had already decided to stop promoting her cousin, the agency buckled under the Pledger family''s pressure and returned the cease-and-desist.


    The goal was just to scare Zach into backing off. She never imagined it would ignite a chain reaction that would put the Pledger family in the crosshairs.


    Her father was just a distant rtive within the Pledger n, barely part of the inner circle. If it hadn''t been for his knack for business earning him some favor, she would never have dared to unt the Riverdale Pledger name in social circles.


    Now, her father''s overseas project had crashed and burned, and the domestic branches he managed were teetering on the brink of copse, which enraged the Pledger family.


    The Davis family wasn''t part of any Riverdale power faction, but their sprawling industrywork was daunting. Nobody knew the full extent of the Davis family''s reach.


    They even threatened to boot the Pledger family out of Riverdale''s elite circle unless they received a formal apology for the slight against their daughter.


    And the Pledgers didn''t even know who the Davis family''s daughter was until Heather, after realizing her father had be the family''s scapegoat, pieced it all together.


    That''s when it hit her just how shallow she had been. Juztin''s mysterious background wasn''t because he came from nothing, but because it was intentionally hidden. Otherwise, how could he have kept such a spotless reputation?


    Unfortunately, she realized her mistake toote. She had already made a formidable enemy and caused a massive blunder.


    The more Heather thought about it, the worse she felt. If only she had stopped her cousin from posting those rumors, or hadn''t sent back that cease-and-desist in the name of the Pledger family, maybe her family wouldn''t be in this dire situation, despised by the whole Pledger n.


    And maybe she wouldn''t be standing before Mirabe, begging for forgiveness in such a humiliating way.


    Taking a deep breath, Heather pushed down her swirling thoughts and continued to apologize to Mirabe. When she finished, she quietly watched Mirabe, trying to read her reaction.


    Mirabe just adjusted her coat, her voice cool and detached, "Are you done?"


    Heather was taken aback, unable to gauge Mirabe''s attitude.


    Mirabe''s mind was elsewhere. After that Twitter fiasco, Zach had told her not to worry, assuring her he''d handle it.


    Could Zach really be that influential?


    To make someone like Heather, with her supposed clout, personallye forward to apologize?


    "What do you want from us, then? Name your terms. As long as they''re reasonable, we''ll do our best to meet them," Michelle chimed in eagerly.


    For them, resolving this mess, no matter the cost, was their top priority.