He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 403

Elara watched the video, the corners of her mouth curling into an uncontrollable smile. Her heart bloomed with delight.

This scene, the more she looked at it, the more perfect it seemed.

But before she could fully appreciate the moment, the next video in the playlist auto-started, and her smile instantly evaporated.

On the screen, in the dimly lit interior of a car, the atmosphere was scorching. Julian and Scarlett were locked in a passionate, desperate kiss, with Scarlett boldly straddling his lap.

*Boom.* Elara felt a metaphorical fuse blow in her brain.

Her vision went dark for a second. Clutching her chest, she swayed, on the verge of fainting.

Was this... was this her reserved, self-controlled son?!

They both acted so proper and professional in their daily lives. How could they be the people in this wild video?!

Once she managed to catch her breath, she clicked on a viciously worded tabloid article. The piece aggressively claimed that Julian and Scarlett had been having a secret affair for ages. It speculated that Scarlett's daughter was actually Julian's, and that they had both cheated on their spouses so they could finally be together.

What absolute garbage!

She knew her son. He would never, ever do something like that.

As a mother, she absolutely refused to let the media drag his name through the mud.

Elara didn't sleep a wink. The second the sun came up, she called her former student, the top-tier lawyer Chatwin Wyatt.

She marched straight into his firm. The professor and her student locked the door and held a confidential meeting that lasted the entire morning.

Through Chatwin's detailed explanation, Elara finally understood the entire timeline—the truth about Scarlett and Yardley, and what had really happened between Scarlett and Julian.

"I want you to sue every single media outlet that has published a word of this slander about Julian and Scarlett! Drag them all to court! And put out a warning to the press: anyone who dares to publish another negative piece about them is declaring war on the entire Croft family!"

Chatwin felt a surge of adrenaline. "Understood. I'll get the injunctions filed immediately."

But Elara wasn't finished. "And call your senior classmates—Holt from Red Bubble and Joshua from Green Bubble. Tell them Professor Elara misses them and wants them over for tea! I want to look them in the eye and ask how their moderation teams allowed this unverified garbage to trend! They've gotten entirely too bold!"

Chatwin visibly gulped.

Back in law school, the most terrifying thing a student could hear was that Professor Elara wanted to invite them for "tea." She was usually warm and smiling, but when she got serious, that tea was a bitter pill to swallow.

He nodded vigorously. "Yes, ma'am. I'll call them right now."

Elara nodded, her gaze softening slightly as she looked at him.