Jasmine strode forward, her heels clicking like gunshots across the polished marble floor, eyes zing with barely restrained Stury as she confronted Henty Dupont.


    "Careful, Henry," she warned, her voice icy but edged with fire.


    "usations without proof could burn you alive."


    Henry threw his head back andughed bitterly, the sound cutting through the murmurs of anticipation like a razor de.


    "Oh, isn''t she priceless?" He swung around to face the crowd, his voice rising sharply, deliberately loud enough for everyone to hear clearly.


    "Do you all hear this nonsense? Last month, Kingston tinaceucal''s chief of medical research and his elite team lost all faith in Jasmine Kingston''s sham leadership and abandoned ship. Who could me them?"


    "Those brilliant minds took the SkinDew patent-legally theirs-and fled to Kane Pharmaceutical."


    "They perfected Skin Dew there, away from Jasmine''s ipetence!" Henry sneered dramatically, relishing every scathing word.


    He jabbed an using finger toward Alex, his voice dripping contempt.


    "And Kingston? They reced true talent with some nobody named Alex, a pathetic pretender without credentials or even a respectable diploma. A joke of a leader!"


    A wave of uneasyughter rippled through the audience, eyes swiveling sharply toward Alex and Jessica Kingston, suspicion crackling palpably in the tense air.


    From the sidelines, Alex finally spoke, his voice firm and steady, quiet but charged with undeniable authority.


    "SkinDew has nothing-nothing-inmon with Emerald Elixir."


    Henry barked a scornfulugh, eyes narrowing venomously. "And you expect us to believe you invented a new medicine in one short month without raiding SkinDew''s research? Do you think we''re all fools here?"


    Alex stepped forward confidently, voice cutting through the hostile whispers. "I''ve seen SkinDew''s data in Kingston''s archives. I wouldn''t touch that poison, let alone counterfeit it."


    Henry''s eyes red with outrage. "And just who are you to call Skin Dew dangerous? Admit your theft!"


    Alex raised his voice with chilling calm, stepping deliberately into the spotlight.


    "I''m the chief of Kingston Pharmaceutical, and I can prove SkinDew''s danger to everyone here-right now."


    He looked into the eager crowd. "Anyone got a SkinDew Essence handy?"


    A customer hurriedly handed over a box. Alex took one pill and expertly crushed it


    into a fine powder on a pristine porcin dish.


    He repeated the action with Emerald Elixir on another te.


    Spotting a man gripping a can of soda, Alex gave a courteous nod. "May I?"


    "Go ahead,” the man muttered, curious eyes locked on the unfolding demonstration.


    Slowly, theatrically, Alex poured the soda onto the Skin Dew powder.


    A tense silence filled the hall-then suddenly, the mixture erupted violently, boiling


    fiercely with a sizzling roar and spewing noxious fumes.


    Horrified gasps rippled through the crowd.


    Alex''s voice thundered, myielding. "Skin Dew is overloaded with toxic chemicals.


    A sip of soda after swallowing this pill could turn your body into a ticking time bomb-instant death by poison


    Then, without hesitation, he poured soda over the Emerald Elixir powder.


    The reaction was instant yet gentle; the soda turned astonishingly clear, pure as a mountain stream.


    Alex raised his voice triumphantly. "Emerald Elixir uses purely organic elements. Not only safe-it purifies your body, eliminating toxins entirely."


    Shock morphed into awe in the audience.


    "Incredible," someone whispered in astonishment.


    Alex continued mercilessly. "Your precious SkinDew''s original creator was warned repeatedly about its lethal risk. Kingston Pharmaceutical fired him for his recklessness. Kane Pharmaceutical wouldn''t even sell it. But Dupont


    Pharmaceutical, in its greed, chose to sell poison. Why?"


    Henry staggered backward, face pale, mouth agape.


    "You liar!" he stammered desperately. "You rigged this demonstration!"


    Suddenly, a voice exploded from the audience, loud and furious.


    "He''s telling the damn truth! I nearly killed myself mixing Skin Dew with soda- damn near blew up my stomach!" Pandemonium broke loose as others frantically tested their own pills, cries of horror confirming Alex''s chilling revtion. “Dupont''s selling death in a bottle!" someone shouted, triggering a storm of fury.


    A shbulb popped sharply, capturing Henry''s stunned, panicked expression.


    The crowd surged forward, faces twisted with rage and betrayal.


    "How could you poison us, Henry?"


    "I almost gave this to my family!"


    Cornered and desperate, Henry screamed defensively, "I didn''t know!" He bolted from the room, chased by jeers and curses.


    Nearby, Charles sank into despair, his face drained white as snow, realizing his hundred-million-dor investment was now worthless poison.


    "We''re ruined," he murmured, voice hollow with disbelief.


    Jessica''s scream of agony pierced the chaos, realization shattering her pride as the fortune she''d entrusted to Charles, his son


    turned to ash.


    Tragically, investors fled Dupont Pharmaceutical like rats from a sinking ship.


    Thepany''s stocks plummeted, crashing brutally to their lowest point in history-destroyed by scandal and greed. After the tempestuous showdown, the Kingston family''s press conference concluded triumphantly, leaving their rivals drowning in disgrace.


    weight of scandal.


    In stark contrast, Dupont Pharmaceutical''s press conference imploded spectacrly, copsing under its The SkinDew Essence was branded a toxic menace, banished immediately from shelves nationwide. Henry Dupont, shadowed by a storm cloud of impendingwsuits and usations, vanished like a coward into hiding. Miles away, Jericho Kane watched the drama unfold on his television screen, beads of cold sweat trickling down his brow. His fingers trembled as dread gripped him; holding onto Skin Dew Essence meant courting disaster.


    Could his empire endure the colossal blow Dupont was now suffering?


    Hundreds of millions evaporated instantly, an unforgiving whirlwind of ruin.


    Luckily, he sold it to the Dupont..


    A shiver ran through him-Jericho resolved firmly: it was wiser not to provoke Alex.


    Although the debacle didn''t dismantle the Dupont family''s legacy entirely, the damage inflicted was monumental and merciless. Amidst the chaos, Emerald Elixir soared like a phoenix from the ashes, dominating the pharmaceutical market overnight. With dazzling swiftness, Kingston Pharmaceutical tightened its grip, wielding unrivaled power across the nation.


    Three tension-filled dayster, Alex received an unexpected call from Kelly, her voice edged with urgency.


    "Alex, I need your help," she said bluntly..


    His eyes narrowed cautiously. "What kind of help?"


    ''re ruthless old-timers scheming to wrest control of the Vermont


    "I''ve arranged a meeting with some Vermont vipers-they''r power. It''ll be dangerous, and I need you by my side," Kelly admitted inly.


    Alex scoffed lightly, suspicion thickening his voice. "The Kingston family has enough hired muscle to fill a stadium. Why drag me into your fight?"


    Kelly''s voice dropped, tense with quiet desperation. "Because none of them measure up to you. I''m not ying games, Alex- these men are lethal. They see Vermont as easy pickings, and they''re ready to bury me to im it."


    Her breath hitched slightly, raw vulnerability seeping into her usually imprable armor. "Without you, I might not walk away alive."


    The gravity of her words hung thickly in the silence that followed. Alex drew in a


    slow, sharp breath, eyes ring with protective intensity.


    "Alright,” he conceded finally, his voice firm and steady. "I''lle. Nobody''sying a finger on you-not while I''m around."


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