"To stop the stock from falling further, she posted a public notice severing ties with you," the assistant repeated quietly. "She stated that from now on, she will have nothing to do with you or yourpany."


    Jared blinked, and a tear escaped.


    Was his mother serious? He couldn''t believe it. Why would she do this to him?


    He quickly wiped the tear away and looked at his assistant. "Find a way to handle the PR. I can''t let mypany go under."


    The assistant remained silent, his head still bowed.


    "What are you standing there for?" Jared snapped, his eyes turning icy. "Go manage the crisis! Bury the story!"


    The assistant finally shook his head, his expression grim. "It''s no use, Mr. Scott. There''s no spinning what you said. It was a live broadcast. Everyone knows Natalie was just a stepping stone for Ms. Scott. And experts have already confirmed that you doctored those photos. The narrative haspletely flipped; everyone knows you framed Natalie."


    "Get out!" Jared roared, feeling a wave of panic he''d never known. "I don''t care how you do it, just get this off the trending list!"


    It was the first time he''d ever suffered such a defeat, and for a moment, he was at aplete loss.


    His mother had always been the pir of the family, the one who handled every crisis. But this time, she had abandoned him. Fear began to set in.


    "I''m going to see Sebastian. You go take care of the media." Jared grabbed his car keys and left for Sebastian''s office.


    In his mind, there were two people who could solve anything: his mother for everyday problems, and Sebastian for the serious ones. He had always taken it for granted that Sebastian would be there for him.


    As Natalie got into her car, tears welled in her eyes.


    "Luna," she said, her voice thick with emotion, "having a family like this is so painful."


    Luna was blunt. "What''s the point of a family like that? You''re better off without them. They plot against you and then toss you aside when you''re no longer useful. Don''t be upset. How about I take you out for some good food?"


    Natalie shook her head and managed a small smile. "No, thanks. We just ate. Let''s get back to work."


    With the rumors debunked, her next focus was ensuring the sess of the fashion show.


    Joanna would


    never be an actress


    now; Natalie was going to make


    sure she walked the same path as in


    her previous life. And she would find the man behind Joanna the one who had hurt Lennon, and make sure he couldn''t do it again.


    As Luna drove, Natalie''s phone rang. It was Matthew.


    “Natalie, are you all right?" he asked, his deep voice filled with concern.


    Natalie''s smile was light. "I''m fine, Matthew. I''m on my way back to the office. Don''t worry about me; I can protect myself."


    "Good. I''m downstairs at yourpany. I''ll wait for you. See you in a minute."


    "Okay."


    Calls from Susan, Zenobia, and Wayne followed, and she reassured each of them that she was fine.


    Online, a firestorm was raging. Jared was being torn to shreds byizens, dragged through the mud and beyond.


    For the first time, he was


    experiencing the full force of a public


    shaming. He remembered how


    satisfying it had been to watch.


    people call Natalie a shameless slut. Now seeing himself called a Scumbag, a snake, and a bastard, and readingments telling him to die, filled him with a rage he


    couldn''t express.


    It was all Natalie''s scheme, but he knew he''d started it by ndering her first. So this is what it felt like.


    If only Natalie had just gone back to her provincial life, none of this would have happened. As his car pulled up to Sebastian''s building, he got a call from Jerome.