ACD
The old apartment building loomed before them, its crumbling facade a testament to years of neglect. ording to Mike at the auto shop, this was where the Chevrolet owner lived the same man who’d refused to pay his repair bill and threatened to run over Ss.
They were about to enter the building whende spotted a figure approaching from the corner of the street. Even in the fading evening light, she recognized the man from the garage–medium height, receding hairline, clutching a brown paper bag that undoubtedly contained a bottle of cheap liquor.
He noticed them at the same moment, and his eyes widened in recognition. The blood drained from his face when he saw Jade, and he froze mid–step like a deer caught in headlights.
“That’s him,” Ss confirmed unnecessarily.
The man’s expression morphed from fear to panic. He dropped his paper bag, the sound of ss shattering on the pavement <b>as </b><b>the </b>bottle broke inside. Without warning, he turned <b>and </b>bolted in the opposite direction.
“Hey!” Jade called out, but he was already running.
“Stand still!” Ss shouted, suddenly sprinting after him.
What happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion
The screech of tires. The dull thud of impact. A body flying through the air.
The Chevrolet owner had darted across the street without looking, desperately trying to escape. A red van appeared out of nowhere, brakes squealing as the driver tried to stop. But it was toote. The man’s body hit the pavement with a sickening sound, blood <b>pooling </b>beneath his still form.
Ss froze in the middle of the street, his face ashen. <b>The </b>van’s driver stumbled out, horror etched on his features.
“I didn’t see him! He <b>just </b>ran out in front of me!” the driver cried, his hands <b>shaking </b>violently.
Within hours, <b>the </b>footage was everywhere.
Hashtags like #justiceForChevroletGuy and #RichKidsGetAwayWithMurder were trending nationally.
Jade sat in the police station, scrolling through her phone as <b>Grant </b>interviewed <b>Ss </b>in another room. Thements section under every news article was filled with vitriol directed at het.
Her phone rang, and Ethan’s name shed on the screen. She stepped into a quiet corner to answer.
“I saw the news,” he said without preamble, his voice tight with concern. “Max sent me the video. <b>Are </b>you <b>okay</b>?”
“I’m fi
fine, she replied, keeping her <b>voice </b>low. “It’s a mess, but nothing I <b>can’t </b>handle.”
“I’ve watched the edited version <b>that’s </b>going viral. <b>Based </b><b>on </b>what it cuts off, I’m guessing the man was clearly <b>the </b>aggressor first, right?”
“Exactly.”
<b>国 </b>
Ethan was silent for a moment, processing. Do you need me toe back<b>? </b>I can be on the next flight.”
“No, don’t bother. Keep doing whatever you’re doing in Europe. I might need you to <b>make </b>a call to the policemissioner, though.”
“Consider it done.” He paused, <b>“</b><b>Any </b>idea who’s behind the edited <b>video</b>?”
jade nced around to ensure no one was listening. “My guess? Shadow Organization.”
“They did <b>this</b>?” His voice dropped <b>even </b>lower.
“<b>Shadow </b>doesn’t just kill people, Ethan. Sometimes they prefer <b>more</b>… subtle approaches. Character assassination works just as well <b>as </b>actual assassination in certain circumstances.”
By morning, theplete surveince video <b>had </b>been released by the police department’s official social media ounts–a Ethan’s call to themissioner<b>. </b>
result of
The full video was six minutes long, clearly showing that jade had only hit the passenger side of the cheap Chevrolet, and the owner had <b>walked </b>awaypletely unharmed. It also included that it was the man who threatened Ss first. The police also released information about his criminal record–multiple DUIs, a domestic <b>violence </b>charge, and several counts of assault.
<b>The </b>police issued <b>a </b>statement: “An officer was attempting to locate the individual for questioning rted to an ongoing investigation when <b>the </b>subject fled <b>and </b>was struck by a vehicle in <b>an </b>unfortunate traffic ident.”
But the narrative had already been <b>set</b>, and people were <b>selective </b>about what they believed. Thements sections were still flooded with
hate:
“Of course the police <b>are </b>covering for the rich girl. The system is rigged.”
The situation escted beyond online outrage. A small group of protesters gathered outside the police station, holding signs with slogans like “Justice Cannot Be Bought” and “Princeton Protects Predators.” Another group formed <b>outside </b>the university gates, demanding Jade’s expulsion.
Most disturbing was the handful of people who showed up outside her apartment building, <b>forcing </b>her to enter through the parking garage to avoid them.
The fallout didn’t stop there. Felix Huxley, the mayor of Cloud City, was facing questions about why the “daughter of a city employee” (Frank Morgan worked in the municipal office) was receiving ‘<b>special </b>treatment. The university administration was fielding calls from parents <b>concerned </b>about <b>having </b>their children attend school with a “dangerous individual,”
A few Princeton students tried to organize counter–<b>protests </b>in Jade’s support, but they were quickly shouted down andbeled as “privileged elitists defending their own
Jade was sitting in Philip Thornton’s office, discussing the situation, when his <b>assistant </b>rushed in.
“Sir, Archer Sullivan <b>is </b><b>at </b>the front gate. Hes… well, <b>he’s </b>causing a scene,
Philip raised an eyebrow. “What kind of scene?”
12:29 Sat, Sep <b>27 </b>
“<b>He’s </b>confronting the protesters. Rather aggressively.”
Jade couldn’t help but sm
smile s
slightly.
Philip sighed and moved to the window, where they could see Archer standing toe–to–toe with a group of protesters, his expression
thunderous.
“I suppose I should go down there before he makes things worse, Philip sald, reaching for his jacket.
He paused at the door. “Miss Morgan, I want you to know that the university stands behind you. Whatever these people are saying, we know the truth.”
Thank you, President Thornton.”
After he left, <b>Jade </b>checked her phone again. The Princeton campus forum had been shut down by Julian Sheldon after it had devolved into a cesspool of rumors and spection about her. People were iming she had mysterious “connections that kept her out of trouble, that she had a history of violence, that she was part of some shadowy elite <b>that </b>operated above <b>the </bw.
If they only knew how close to the truth thatst part was, just not in the way they imagined.
In just twenty–four hours, Jade had be the inte’s public enemy number one.
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