Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Group’s New York branch office felt different—not because of the usual bustle of energetic employees, but because of the tense atmosphere hanging in every corner. The company’s stock had plummeted, making investors nervous, and the media was pouring fuel on an already raging fire.
In the main meeting room, Elena sat at the end of the table. Her hair, usually styled in a sleek bun, was now tied up in a messy knot. Dark circles adorned her tired face. In front of her, the PR, legal, and public relations teams sat with anxious expressions.
“What’s the latest update?” Elena asked, her voice hoarse but firm.
Mira, the head of the legal team, sighed. “Our stock has dropped another 12 percent since this morning. Some investors are beginning to question Queen Group’s reputation and are considering pulling their support.”
“The protest at Queen’s Mall is getting worse,” Jessy from the PR team added. “The crowd is starting to force their way in. They’re holding banners that say ‘Queen Bitch’ and ‘We Don’t Shop at a Whore Place!"
Elena stared at her laptop screen. A video played of the angry crowd shouting and burning her photo. “Unbelievable…,” she muttered under her breath.
“I’ll give you three days to track down whoever first shared that video,” Nathan said, standing beside her. “But the account’s fake. It’s using a VPN, bouncing through overseas servers. The digital footprint is almost clean.”
Elena took a deep breath. “So, they’re serious about bringing me down.”
“Not just bringing you down, El,” Nathan replied quietly. “They want to destroy you—completely.”
Suddenly, Elena’s phone rang. An unknown number.
“This is Elena Queen,” she answered briefly.
“I hope you’re ready to face charges from the National Women’s Business Association. Your name is dragging down businesswomen across the country,” the voice on the other end said sharply.
Elena closed her eyes. “I haven’t been proven guilty. This is all slander.”
“But public opinion judges first. And unfortunately, it has more power now.”
Click.
The call was abruptly ended. Elena stared blankly at her phone. “They believed a fake video over everything I’ve worked for.”
“Because it’s easier to believe the worst than to appreciate the good,” Nathan said.
Just then, Tamara burst in, her face pale with panic. “El! Queen’s Mall is getting worse! One of the stores was hit by a rock, and several employees are afraid to come to work. I also just heard that a woman spit on your poster and shouted, ‘A woman like Elena doesn’t deserve to be a role model!’”
Elena stood up. “That’s enough. I’m going there.”
“WHAT?!” Nathan and Tamara shouted in unison.
“I can’t just sit back while everything I’ve built burns to the ground,” Elena said.
“Don’t, El. If you go there now, you’ll get hurt,” Nathan said, grabbing her arm.
“I don’t care. I won’t keep hiding!”
Nathan sighed deeply. “Okay. If you’re going, I’m coming with you.”
Elena looked at him for a moment, then gave a slow nod.
A black SUV stopped a few blocks from Queen’s Mall. From inside, Elena could see the angry crowd shouting and waving banners. Media crews were everywhere, some broadcasting live. Cameras were aimed at the mall’s gate, now sealed shut.
“I didn’t think they could be this cruel,” Elena whispered.
Nathan glanced at the crowd with a hard stare. “They don’t care about the truth. They just want a spectacle.”
Elena reached for the door handle, but Nathan stopped her. “Wait. Put these on.” He handed her sunglasses and a mask. “Don’t let them see you.”
As soon as they stepped out, the crowd roared louder.
“THAT’S HER! ELENA!”
“THAT BITCH SHOWED UP!”
“HEY QUEEN, HOW’S THAT BED-BUSINESS GOING?!”
Security guards rushed to shield Elena. Reporters closed in, shoving microphones into her face. Camera flashes blinded her, but she held her ground, despite her racing heart.
“I am Elena Queen,” she said loudly. “And I’m here to say this: all the allegations are false. The circulating video is a vicious fabrication, meant to destroy me personally and professionally. I will not remain silent.”
“HAHAHA! YOU DARE SAY THAT OUT LOUD?!” a man shouted, throwing an egg.
The egg almost hit her—but Nathan blocked it with his hand.
“All you’re doing is making a fool of yourself!” another woman yelled.
“Enough!” Nathan shouted. “One more word, and we’re pressing charges!”
Some people in the crowd hesitated and stepped back.
But from a distance, a pair of eyes observed them. A woman in a black hoodie and mask smiled bitterly, gripping her phone tightly.
“Go on, entertain me, Elena Queen,” she whispered. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
A few hours later.
Back at the Queen Group branch office, Mira opened an email from the digital investigator Nathan had hired.
Subject: Account Tracker Initial Report
The first spreading account used a server based in Iceland, with login activity from several countries. But there was one consistent pattern: every login occurred in the GMT+7 time zone, around the same time every day.
Mira reread the message, then called Nathan.
“We’re getting close.”
Nathan turned to Elena, who sat silently, staring out the window.
“Good,” he said. “We’ll soon find out who tried to destroy you—and they’ll pay.”
To be continued...