Chapter 209: When He Smiles, Trouble Follows
Emily froze for a moment, scrutinizing the woman before her. The instant recognition hit, her pupils contracted sharply.
Lucy?!
Lucy was draped in designer labels from head to toe. Her curled hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her delicate face was painted with bold makeup. Every gesture radiated confidence and pride.
She was nothing like the timid, cowering girl from high school.
"I brought you a gift today," Lucy said with a smile. She turned to James and handed him her phone. "James, would you mind having your crew put this video on the big screen?"
James had no idea what Lucy was up to, but it seemed she'd also come to expose Emily's hypocrisy.
He glanced toward backstage. A staff member quickly approached and connected the phone to the control room's computer.
All eyes turned to the giant screen.
The video was twelve minutes long—a compilation of footage from various scenes, all from their high school years.
At the equestrian club, Emily was shown egging on other students to accuse Sophia of being arrogant and looking down on everyone.
In the classroom, she bossed her classmates around like servants.
And there—Emily jabbing her finger at Sophia, face twisted with venom, calling her "bottom-feeder," "fake," and "trash," vowing to drive Sophia out of Silver Fir Academy.
By this point, Emily's face had gone deathly pale.
The stables and classrooms had never had surveillance cameras back then. How could these scenes have been recorded? And with crystal-clear audio, no less!
Lucy let out a contemptuous laugh. "Emily, if you hadn't shown up today, maybe the past could've stayed buried. But you're too greedy. You got to enjoy the Smith family fortune, and now you want to bleed the Johnsons dry too.
"The real gold-digger here? That's you."
The crowd erupted into chaos, condemning Emily for her manipulative reversal of the truth, for using everyone present as her pawns.
"She was a bully too? That's beyond messed up!"
"She thought going back to the Smiths made her a princess, huh? Who could've predicted the Smith Group would collapse? Now that she's broke, she's scheming her way back to the Johnsons."
"Poor James, raising Emily for all those years only to have her walk away for money. Now she wants back in—also for money. How much must that hurt?"
"I felt so bad for James. How did he end up with someone like her?"
James regarded Emily with icy disdain. For the first time in public, he let his anger show. "Emily, it's been years. I stopped blaming you, stopped hating you, a long time ago. But that doesn't mean a shattered mirror can be pieced back together."
He let out a mocking laugh. "And especially not... with such disgusting tactics."
That laugh—it mocked Emily's naivety. It also ridiculed his younger self for doting on her so blindly.
Emily's nails dug into her palms, but she felt no pain.
The crowd's contemptuous stares made her body tremble. Eyes red-rimmed, she glared at Lucy. "Why are you doing this? Back then—"
"Back then?" Lucy cut her off with a scoff.
"I'll admit I sided with you for my personal gain back in high school. But I never participated in your vile schemes, did I? I didn't benefit from any of it. If anything, you treated me like a slave."
She lifted Emily's chin with an icy fingertip, eyes curved in a smile that held no warmth. "Emily, after all these years, you still haven't learned how to survive in this world."
She leaned close to Emily's ear, voice dropping to a whisper only they could hear. "A wise bird chooses its tree carefully. This world isn't just champagne and diamonds on the surface—there are plenty of devils lurking beneath. Take my advice: stop being so foolish."
Emily's pupils constricted.
Her mind flashed back to what Sophia had said at the birthday gala: There are two kinds of people in this world—players and pawns.
Emily crouched down, burying her face in her hands. Her carefully styled hair fell in disarray.
She finally understood. She was nothing but an insignificant pawn in a power game. Now, discarded, she'd become a laughingstock.
James took the microphone, no longer sparing a glance at Emily's pitiful state. He resumed his gentle, refined demeanor, smiling warmly. "My apologies for the disruption. Let's continue with the film discussion, shall we?"
At his words, two security guards stepped forward, hauling Emily up and escorting her out.
The landmine buried five years ago had finally detonated—on Emily herself.
Lucy smiled brightly, tossed her curls over her shoulder, and strutted out on her stilettos.
The drama had ended, but online, the controversy raged on.
Negative headlines about James flooded the internet.
Some accused him of being heartless—seeing his childhood sister so destitute yet refusing to help, no different from the Emily who'd abandoned him years ago.
Others said he was making millions now but wouldn't spare a dime for Emily on the streets, devoid of compassion.
Behind this coordinated smear campaign were rival production companies mobilizing troll farms. But there was also the unmistakable hand of a certain someone, relentlessly manipulating public opinion to destroy James's career.
Seeing the trending topics on X, Sophia made a phone call.
"Playing these childish games now, are we?"
In a lounge somewhere, Andrew sat on a leather sofa, sipping coffee with refined elegance. "I've given it careful thought. Rather than making the Johnsons disappear, destroying their careers is far more satisfying."
Sophia scoffed. She spun her pen once, then gripped it tightly. "You're cutting off my revenue stream."
She never made unprofitable deals. Her relationship with the Johnsons wasn't about "helping" them.
She hadn't invested in an entertainment company to make James famous—she'd discovered his talent, signed him, and ensured her investment in film and media wouldn't tank.
Just like every industry Vertex Innovations Group entered: she always secured foundational talent first to guarantee returns.
So Andrew destroying James's career was equivalent to sabotaging her entertainment division.
Andrew idly played with his coffee cup, still warm from the hot water. He seemed absorbed in the sensation of its fading heat.
Then, slowly, a smile curved his lips. "So... you care more about money than James?"
Hearing Andrew's smile in his voice, Sophia felt a headache coming on.
Everyone knew Andrew rarely smiled. The outside world called him a demon without emotions.
Only she knew the truth: when Andrew smiled, trouble always followed.