Chapter 163 Let Her Jump

Chapter 163 Let Her Jump

The comments section below had completely exploded.

"I knew it! How could Stella actually give up her position as Mrs. Hudson?"

"Is Dennis being cheated on? This woman is something else — two big shots fighting over her."

"Miles is bankrupt and she still wants to go back to him? That's got to be true love."

Stella stared at these made-up comments, her stomach turning.

She understood immediately.

He was deliberately muddying the waters, using this disgusting tactic to tie her to him, forcing her to respond publicly and embarrass Dennis in the process.

"Stella, the whole internet is calling you a two-timer right now, and our new brand's official account is getting flooded with hate comments. What do we do?" Kenna was on the verge of tears.

Stella slammed the tablet down on the table.

"He wants to play the PR game? Fine, I'll play with him. Tell the PR department to draft a legal notice right now. We're taking Miles and every one of those rumor-spreading outlets to court."

"But Stella, lawsuits like this take forever, and the story is blowing up so fast right now..."

"We're not just sending legal notices. I'm posting a statement from my personal account. No polished PR language — just write it straight: Miles is a delusional bankrupt criminal. I, Stella, would rather beg on the street than spare him a second glance. Anyone else spreading lies — see you in court."

Kenna blinked, then nodded firmly. "Got it. I'm on it right now!"

Stella had barely finished giving instructions when her phone buzzed on the table.

She picked up, and before she could say a word, Dennis's low voice came through.

"I saw the news. Don't let that lunatic ruin your mood. I've already got people looking into the outlets that ran those stories. Within half an hour, every one of those articles will be gone."

"I can handle it myself. I've already had the PR department put out a statement. I can't keep hiding behind you every time something goes wrong."

There was a brief silence on the other end. Then Dennis let out a quiet laugh.

"Alright. Fight back however you want. If the sky falls, I'll hold it up for you."

At the same time, in a room at Silverline Hospital in Cloud City.

Irene lay in the hospital bed, her face as white as paper.

An IV line was taped to the back of her hand, delivering medication to prevent a miscarriage. The doctor had told her she was showing serious signs of threatened miscarriage and needed to stay in bed without exception — otherwise, there was no saving the baby.

She was propped up against the pillow, phone in hand.

On the screen: the flood of trending topics Miles had paid for.

Irene stared at the words "Miles and Stella Set to Remarry," the red veins in her eyes growing thicker by the second.

She had married Miles as a pawn for Atticus, been abandoned by Miles in the middle of nowhere, and nearly lost the baby she was carrying.

And for what? Miles took the money she'd been traded for and used it to build Stella up — to announce to the whole world that he wanted to marry Stella.

Why? Why did she have to endure all this humiliation while Stella got to stand above it all, being fought over by two men?

Irene's breathing grew ragged.

She felt a fire burning in her chest, burning away every last shred of reason.

"Stella... after everything you've done to me, I will never let you live in peace..."

She stopped caring about the baby.

Her mind was consumed by a single thought: destroy Stella.

She yanked the IV needle from the back of her hand. Blood seeped from the puncture and dripped onto the white sheets. She didn't even look at it.

She picked up her phone and dialed a black PR contact she'd worked with before.

"I've got a job for you," Irene said without preamble. "Double the usual rate. I want you to bury Stella. Spread it that she was sleeping with the orderlies at the psychiatric hospital three years ago. Get everything out there now."

The person on the other end hesitated. "Ms. Palmer, Stella has Dennis backing her up. This is too risky..."

"I'll pay more! Triple! Five times!" Irene screamed. "Post it now!"

She hung up and slumped back against the headboard, gasping for breath.

But it still didn't feel like enough.

An online smear campaign might damage Stella's reputation, but it wouldn't cut her to the bone.

She wanted Stella to feel that kind of gut-wrenching pain.

She wanted Stella to lose the thing she cared about most.

What did Stella care about most?

She started turning it over in her mind. Since Stella's business was thriving, she was going to make sure it didn't stay that way.

2:00 p.m.

The rooftop terrace of the building that housed AURE Studio.

Irene stood by the railing in a loose hospital gown, her face deathly pale, swaying on her feet.

Behind her, a dozen tabloid outlets she'd paid handsomely were lined up with cameras and phones, all pointed at her, streaming live to the entire internet.

When Stella got the call from the front desk in her office, she let out a cold laugh.

"Stella, there's a woman named Irene on the roof threatening to jump. She brought a bunch of reporters and she's going live. She says if you don't come up, she'll throw herself off," the receptionist said, voice urgent.

"Let her jump." Stella didn't even look up from her computer screen. "Someone that selfish doesn't have the guts to actually die."

That said, Stella knew that if she didn't cut out this cancer today, there would be no end to the misery that followed.

She stood, pulled on her jacket, and turned to Kenna. "Get everything we dug up on her ready to go. Hack into her live stream signal and wait for my signal."

Kenna nodded hard. "Understood!"

Stella pushed open the office door and walked to the elevator in her heels.

A few minutes later, the iron door to the rooftop terrace swung open.

Stella stepped out.

The moment Irene saw her, her eyes lit up like a rabid dog that had caught the scent of blood.

She immediately squeezed out tears for the cameras, leaning against the railing and performing her most fragile, about-to-fall act.

"Stella! You finally showed your face!"

Irene wailed loudly, her voice carried through the reporters' microphones into every corner of the live stream.

"Why are you trying to destroy me? You took my family's company, you seduced Allen, you ruined everything I had!"

Camera flashes went off in a frenzy, shutters clicking nonstop.

Irene pointed at Stella, tears streaming down her face.

"I loved Allen so much. We grew up together. We were supposed to get married! And then you came along, you shameless woman, and got in between us! Not only are you stringing two men along and chasing after Dennis — you worked with them to back me into a corner with nowhere to turn! I have nothing left. You've taken away every reason I had to keep living!"

The comment section of the live stream was instantly flooded, with paid trolls driving the narrative, filling it with attacks on Stella.

Stella stood in the wind, watching Irene's performance, feeling nothing but a deep sense of absurdity.

She didn't panic the way Irene had hoped. She didn't rush to explain herself to the reporters.

She just stood there quietly, watching Irene put on her show, the way you'd watch a ridiculous clown.

"Are you done?"

Stella finally spoke.

Her voice wasn't loud, but it reached every person there with perfect clarity.

Irene faltered for a moment, then gritted her teeth and kept playing the victim. "You're still making excuses! You dare say you didn't steal Allen from me? You dare say you didn't ruin my life?"