Chapter 3
1318words
Every word in the article had been meticulously crafted. No emotional accusations—just damning facts, precise timelines, and documented financial transactions. The exposé methodically unraveled Lucas's involvement in illegal real estate deals, culminating with the smoking gun: a scanned document bearing his signature.
By dawn, the view count had surpassed one million. Emily closed the dashboard and poured herself a cup of black coffee. As the bitter liquid burned down her throat, a small voice inside asked: Are you truly ready for what comes next?
The answer was unequivocal. Yes.
Lucas's response came faster than expected. By 7 AM, his PR team had issued a statement denouncing the exposé as "fabricated slander" and threatening legal action. The statement pointedly mentioned that "criminal elements have been targeting our company with malicious attacks"—a transparent attempt to muddy the waters.
Emily had anticipated this. She immediately activated her contingency plan, reaching out through encrypted channels to two minority shareholders Lucas had previously strong-armed. Within thirty minutes, both had given on-record interviews confirming every detail of the exposé.
Public opinion fractured predictably. Some condemned Lucas as a fraud; others suggested this was just a competitor's smear campaign. Emily monitored the online discourse with clinical detachment, noting each shift in sentiment as if collecting research data.
By noon, Lucas played exactly the card she'd expected.
An article titled "Mental Breakdown: The Truth Behind a Power CEO" suddenly dominated social media. It painted Emily as unstable, claiming she suffered from severe depression and erratic behavior requiring "immediate professional intervention." The accompanying photo—a candid shot of her looking exhausted after an all-nighter—was angled to make her appear haggard and unhinged.
Cruel but effective. Emily had to admire Lucas's understanding of how easily a woman's credibility could be destroyed.
Jason called twenty minutes after the hit piece dropped. "Want me to get my media contacts to run interference?"
"Not yet," Emily replied coolly. "Let's see where this goes."
She walked to her private bathroom and studied herself in the mirror. The woman staring back had clear eyes and perfect posture—hardly the picture of mental instability. She recorded a quick video, made minimal edits, and uploaded it to her company's official website.
"Thank you for your concern," she said in the video, smiling with perfect composure, "but I'm perfectly fine. Though it seems someone is quite desperate to silence me."
The understated response was perfect—just enough to spark fresh speculation without seeming defensive.
That evening, Emily attended the industry forum as scheduled, wearing a sapphire blue gown that made her skin glow. Her mere presence—poised, articulate, commanding—dispelled the mental breakdown narrative more effectively than any denial could have.
Lucas showed up too—their first public appearance together since the scandal erupted.
He navigated through the crowd toward her, sliding his arm around her waist with practiced ease. "You look stunning tonight," he murmured, his voice honey-sweet while his fingers dug painfully into her side.
Emily maintained her smile while subtly twisting away from his grip. "Thank you, Mr. Lawrence." The formal address—not "Lucas" or "honey"—caused nearby executives to exchange knowing glances.
Halfway through the event, Emily slipped away to the terrace for air. The night breeze cooled her flushed skin as she tried to steady her racing pulse.
Footsteps approached from behind. Expecting Jason, she turned to find Lucas instead, his expression thunderous.
"Having fun with your little game?" All pretense gone, his eyes were glacial.
Emily leaned casually against the railing. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Justice Mirror." He stepped closer, invading her space. "It's you."
Not a question. A certainty.
Emily smiled thinly. "Prove it."
"Do I need proof?" His finger traced her cheek in a gesture that looked loving but felt threatening. "You think your amateur detective work can touch me?"
The party's noise seemed distant, the terrace quiet enough to hear their breathing. Emily met his gaze unflinchingly. "We'll see, won't we?"
Her defiance snapped his control. He grabbed her wrist hard enough to bruise. "Don't forget, I know all your dirty little secrets. Like what really happened with daddy's bankruptcy. Need me to refresh your memory?"
Emily's face blanched, but her voice held firm. "Do your worst."
Just then, Jason appeared at the terrace doorway. "Emily, Chairman Li is asking for you."
Lucas instantly transformed, releasing her wrist and donning his charming mask. "Don't keep the chairman waiting, dear." The speed of his transformation was chilling.
As they walked away, Emily caught Lucas's urgent phone call: "Find out who's helping her. I want names."
Back inside, Emily ducked into a private lounge with Jason standing guard. Once alone, she finally allowed herself to shake.
"You okay?" Jason handed her a cup of hot water.
Emily shook her head, then nodded. "Harder than I expected. But I'm holding it together."
Jason pulled a tiny recorder from his jacket. "Got your terrace conversation."
Emily's eyes widened.
"Figured he'd try something. Came prepared." He forwarded the audio file to her secure email. "Listen to the last two minutes."
Emily inserted her earbuds. The recording was crystal clear. After their confrontation ended, it captured Lucas's subsequent phone call:
"Mr. Shaw, she might have found something… No, I'll handle it… That reporter is here too. Should we deal with him as well?"
Emily yanked out her earbuds. "He's talking directly to Shaw?"
Jason nodded grimly. "Sounds like it. And they're planning to move against us."
Her phone rang—unknown number. After hesitating, she answered to hear a digitally distorted voice:
"Miss Anderson. Back off now. Unless you want to follow in daddy's footsteps."
The line went dead. Emily's hand froze around the phone. First came the ice-cold fear, paralyzing her limbs. Then white-hot rage surged through her veins, burning away the terror. They'd dared to invoke her father's death—not just reopening a wound, but striking at her very core.
Jason checked the number. "Burner. Untraceable."
"Looks like we struck a nerve," she said, her voice deadly calm.
That night, an unmarked envelope waited at her door. Inside was a single photograph: the building her father had jumped from. The timestamp showed it had been taken yesterday.
The message couldn't be clearer.
Emily scanned the photo for her records, then locked the original in her safe. Opening her "Operation Storm" document, she drew a bold red circle around Simon Shaw's name.
Another puzzle piece clicked into place. Her father's "accident" had never been simple. Now she was certain.
Sleep was impossible. Emily stood at her window, watching the city's relentless lights. Lucas's betrayal, Shaw's machinations, her father's mysterious death—all threads in a web tightening around her.
Her phone lit up. Lucas: "Come home. We need to talk."
She didn't respond. This wasn't an olive branch—it was bait. In this deadly game, showing any weakness would be fatal.
She swept her room with a bug detector, watching the green light that confirmed—for now—she was secure.
Then she called Jason: "I need everything on Simon Shaw. Every detail you can find."
After a beat of silence: "That's dangerous territory, Emily."
"We're already in the game," she replied simply.
Outside, wind whispered through the trees like conspirators sharing secrets. In this shadow war, everyone wore masks, and every word carried potential danger. From now on, Emily knew she could truly trust only herself.
Across the city, Lucas stood in Shaw's opulent study, head slightly bowed. "She'll back off now."
Shaw stood with his back turned, studying a landscape painting. "You underestimate her," he replied, his voice carrying an odd cadence. "The Anderson girl isn't one to surrender."
The painting showed mountains before a tempest—dark clouds gathering, the calm before nature's fury was unleashed.
