“Because this scandal is your doing!” he barked, slamming his palm on the desk with a loud thud.
“The backlash from your behavior is dragging us all down. Do you have any idea how much damage this has caused? Investors are pulling out, allies are questioning our credibility. You’re a liability.”
I let his words hang in the air for a moment before responding, my voice calm but firm.
“Arman, make it clear. This mess was caused by Linda and her manipulation, not by me or my company. Don’t you know whether I bullied Linda or not?”
He scoffed, his face twisting with anger.
“Well, it was you who bullied her first!”
he shouted, his voice trembling with frustration.
“Everyone knows it! It’s all over the news—your classmates, the videos, everything. Are you going to stand there and deny it?”
His accusation hung heavy in the room, but I refused to flinch. Instead, I took a step closer to his desk, my gaze locking with his.
“And where exactly did this sudden loyalty to Linda come from?” I asked, my tone icy.
“Is it because she’s spinning stories about me again, trying to win you over? Or is it because you sank your precious savings into her flop of a movie, hoping it would be your ticket back to relevance?”
His face darkened at my words, but I pressed on.
“You’ve lost your footing, Arman. You’ve lost the respect of the pack, the power you once wielded. And now you think you can claw it back by riding on Linda’s pity parade. Let me tell you something—her sob story won’t save you.”
Arman’s hand clenched into a fist, but he held back his temper, his voice low and menacing.
“You always think you’re so smart, don’t you? So untouchable.But let me tell you something, Sophia—if you don’t listen, I’ll pretend I don’t have a sister like you. I’ll sever our ties publicly, and you’ll be cast out of Moon Shadow.”
I tilted my head, a small smile playing at my lips.
“Arman,” I said, my voice soft but laced with steel, “you think that’s a threat? I stopped considering you my brother a long time ago. My only brother is Ethan.”
The words hit their mark.
His eyes widened slightly, a flicker of hurt breaking through his hardened expression, but he quickly masked it with anger.
“Fine,” he spat, his voice trembling with rage.
“If that’s how you feel, then so be it. Don’t come crying to me when you have nowhere else to turn.”
“Same tricks, different life,” I muttered. If Arman thought this was the worst he could do, he was in for a rude awakening.
Now it was my turn.
Seeing that I was steadily losing ground and had no way to fight back, Linda’s grand celebration banquet couldn’t have come at a worse time—or a better one, depending on how you looked at it.
Her movie had become a massive hit, rocketing her to a level of fame I could hardly compete with.
To celebrate her success, Arman, her devoted supporter, had gone all out, hosting a luxurious event that promised to draw not only fans but also influential figures from various circles.
When the invitation arrived, it felt like an unspoken challenge, daring me to show up amidst the storm of rumors swirling around me.
Assistant Zoey was visibly anxious as she handed me the invitation.
“Sophia, this is a setup. She wants to humiliate you in front of everyone,” she said, her voice laced with concern.
“I know,” I replied, my tone calm as I smoothed the fabric of the evening gown I had chosen.
“But if she thinks I’m going to cower and stay away, she doesn’t know me at all.”
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