GRAYSON'S POVJust when I thought things couldn't get any worse, the flashing red and blue lights outside the bar told me otherwise. The cops had shown up, probably called by the bartender while we fought. Great. Just what I needed.An officer approached me, his expression stern. "You're coming with us," he said, grabbing my arm."Wait, this is just a misunderstanding," I tried to explain, but it was no use. The other guy was on the ground, nursing a bloody nose, and the bar was a mess. There was no talking my way out of this one.They cuffed me and led me outside, the cold metal biting into my wrists. I could feel the eyes of the onlookers burning into me, their judgment palpable. They shoved me into the back of the squad car, and I slumped against the seat, my head throbbing from the fight and the alcohol.At the station, they booked me, charged me with assault, and threw me into a cell. The clang of the metal door closing behind me was like a final nail in the coffin of this disast
GRAYSON'S POVI stumbled into the mansion, barely aware of my surroundings. The grand entryway, usually a symbol of stability and wealth, felt suffocating. Alice and William were in the living room, their conversation halting abruptly as they caught sight of me. I could feel their eyes on me, taking in my disheveled clothes and the blood still crusted on my face from the bar fight."What the hell happened to you?" Alice's voice was sharp, and honestly I don't have her time.William just stared, his expression a mix of shock and curiosity.I ignored them both, my only focus on getting to my room. The weight of the evening pressed down on me, and I couldn't muster the energy to engage with either of them. Their judgmental glances were the last thing I needed right now."Grayson!" Alice called after me, but I kept walking, my steps heavy and unsteady.I reached my room, shutting the door behind me with a thud that seemed to reverberate through the silence. Leaning against the door for a
JOCELIA'S POVI picked up my phone, a smirk already spreading across my face. Alice, sitting across from me, noticed immediately."Oh oh, you have that smirk again. What are you about to do?" she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and amusement."Hastening the Sylvia breakdown," I replied, dialing my contact in the news. As the phone rang, I could already envision the chaos this would cause for Sylvia. When my contact picked up, I didn’t waste any time."Hello, it's Jocelia," I began, my voice low and conspiratorial. "I have a tip for you. There's a new lawsuit against Sylvia's company—fraud and false advertising. I need you to leak this story, make sure it gets maximum coverage. Destroy her credibility, ruin the reputation of her business."I could hear the excitement in my contact's voice as they agreed. They knew a good story when they heard one, and this one had all the makings of a scandal."Consider it done," my contact said before hanging up.I put my phone down, still smirking
SYLVIA'S POVI drove back home, my mind still spinning from the confrontation with Grayson and the looming lawsuit. I had to pull myself together for the sake of the kids and the business. As I parked the car and walked inside, I mentally prepared myself for the day ahead.Once inside, I headed straight to the bathroom. The warm shower was a brief respite from my thoughts, the water washing away some of the tension. I quickly dried off and picked out a plain blouse and skirt from my wardrobe, something that matched the somber mood I was in. No bright colors today—just the basics.Dressed and ready, I headed back to the car and drove to the office. As I walked in, I was greeted by Lisa, my ever-efficient assistant. "Good morning, Lisa," I said, trying to sound more upbeat than I felt."Good morning, Sylvia," she replied with a warm smile. "Can I get you anything?""Yes, please. Could you bring a coffee to my office?" I asked, grateful for her support."Of course, right away," she said,
SYLVIA'S POVLisa knocked on the door and poked her head in. "Sylvia, have you seen the news?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern."Yes, Lisa. I have. This is a full-blown attack on our reputation," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I need you to call an emergency meeting with the PR team immediately. We need to get ahead of this.""On it," she said, disappearing down the hall to make the calls.I took a deep breath and tried to gather my thoughts. This was more than just a legal battle now. It was a fight to protect my integrity and the integrity of my business. I couldn’t let whoever was behind this win.A few minutes later, the PR team filed into my office,"Alright, everyone. You've seen the news. We need to respond quickly and decisively," I began. "First, we need a statement denying these accusations and asserting our commitment to transparency and honesty. We need to show our clients and the public that we stand by our work."One of the PR managers, David, nodded.
GRAYSON'S POVI woke up with a loud grunt, the hangover from the night before pounding in my head like a jackhammer. My face ached from the bruises I’d gotten in the bar fight. I squinted against the harsh morning light streaming through the window and reached for my phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up, showing five missed calls from Stewart."Great," I muttered, rubbing my temples. I dialed him back, and he picked up on the first ring."Grayson, finally. Have you checked the news?" Stewart's voice was tense."No, I just woke up. What's going on?" I asked, already feeling a knot forming in my stomach."Turn on the TV or check your news app. It's about Sylvia," he said.I groaned and swung my legs out of bed, shuffling over to the TV. I grabbed the remote and switched it on, flipping to a news channel. My heart sank as I saw the headline: "Lawsuit Filed Against Affordable Housing Project. Protesters Claim Fraud."The screen showed footage of a small crowd outside Sylvia’s office
SYLVIA'S POVAfter wrapping up work for the day, I headed straight to the kids' school. As soon as I arrived, I was swarmed by paparazzi, their cameras flashing and voices clamoring with ridiculous and hurtful questions. I tried to ignore them, focusing on getting to Zenith and Zendaya as quickly as possible.“Ms. Slyvia, is it true your company is a fraud?”“Are you worried about going to prison?”The questions were relentless. I hurried the kids into the car, shielding them from the chaos. Zendaya started to cry, her little body shaking with sobs. I knelt beside her, trying to soothe her despite my own frazzled nerves.“It’s okay, sweetie. Don’t listen to them. Everything’s going to be fine,” I whispered, brushing tears from her cheeks.Zenith held her hand, looking just as scared but trying to be brave for his sister. I managed to get them both into their seats and drove home as fast as I could without drawing more attention.When we finally pulled into the driveway and I opened th
I looked at the cameras, the men and women all gathered around, each one fishing for a story to sell. The flashes of the cameras were relentless, but I was completely zoned out, my mind storming with thoughts about how the kids must be feeling at school at this moment.A reporter's voice cut through my daze, bringing me back to reality. "Ma'am, do you deny 'Z Real Estate's' fraud allegation charges?"I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "Look, everyone," I began, my voice steady despite the chaos around me, "I know you all want a story, but rest assured, my company scamming people and giving them undervalued properties with bad infrastructures that could cause harm isn't one of them."I paused, making sure to meet the eyes of the reporters. "This woman's lawsuit, I am sure, is a misunderstanding. I will make sure the truth prevails."The barrage of questions continued, but I maintained my composure, refusing to be rattled. Inside, my thoughts were still a whirl of worry for Zenith a