By admin “Medical records?” Alyssia sneered, her voice laced with biting sarcasm. “Who knows if your so–called proof is even real? Throwing unverified information into the journals at will–if anyone switched the manuscript, it wasn’t me.
It was you, Diana!”
Diana fixed Alyssia with a dark, intense gaze. “You want me to produce the evidence? Are you trying to provoke me?”
Alyssia effortlessly slipped back into her signature calm composure, as if nothing could ever faze her.
She smiled faintly, “If you don’t produce the evidence now, you’ll have to sooner or later. Or do you really think Vanguard Media would condemn me without a proper investigation?”
“Who dares pass judgment on you!” A slightly aged yet commanding voice rang out from beyond the office doors.
The crowd instinctively made way.
Brianna and Diana spun around and instantly froze at the sight before them.
The first to step into view was a well–proportioned middle–aged man. His composed demeanor and refined features were a spitting image of Charlie standing nearby.
“Mr. Dixon…” Brianna blurted out involuntarily.
It was none other than Daniel Dixon–the CEO and undisputed head of Vanguard Media, and Charlie’s father!
He cleared a path, then promptly stepped aside with deference, ushering the distinguished figures behind him forward.
“Mr. Harlow, Mrs. Harlow, Minister Harrison… after you.”
The entire office was stunned into silence!
William, Nathan… and–right at the center of the storm–William’s wife, Mabel Harlow, herself!
Unbelievably, all these big names showed up under the same roof–right now!
One was a legendary artist–a true national treasure–who hadn’t granted a single interview in a decade, yet there he was, stepping into a media–packed building.
Another was the newly appointed Minister of Communications–á man who controlled the very pulse of the media world.
And the third was the woman rumored to suffer from mental illness and kept chained in the backyard by her husband for over a decade.
Now that was what everyone called a real breaking news scene!
Now that was a news explosion!
Now that was the scene!
Now that was a news explosion!
Mabel clung tightly to William’s arm, looking visibly nervous.
But as soon as she saw Alyssia, her eyes lit up. She instantly let go of William’s arm, reached out to her, and exclaimed, “Aly!”
The affectionate nickname made it seem like they’d known each other for ages.
Alyssia rushed forward and took Mabel’s hand in hers. “Mrs. Harlow…”
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Mabel squeezed Alyssia’s hand tightly, scanning her face with concern. “Are you alright, dear? I heard someone’s been giving you a fare unos. Tam who it is–I’ll have William set things straight for you!”
“I’m fine,” Alyssia beamed with a sweet smile. “With you looking out for me, who’d dare pick on me?”
The crowd was stunned by how close Alyssia and Mabel were but what truly shocked them was this: Mabel showed no signs of mental illnes
whatsoever.
Her face had fine lines, and there was a slight droop at the corners of her eyes and mouth. Yet her kind features and dignified bearing exuded warmths- she looked perfectly normal for her age, with an air of grace and kindness.
With one hand holding Alyssia’s and the other wrapped around her waist, Mabel embraced her with the warmth of a mother and daughter,
But unlike Mabel’s cheerful demeanor, William’s expression darkened visibly.
“I came here to ask–what the hell is this?” William demanded, slamming the printed document down on the nearby desk.
Diana’s face went ashen.
The content of this manuscript was none other than the very article Diana had secretly swapped out and sent to the press earlier.
The article alleged that William had secretly confined his mentally ill wife in the backyard.
The accompanying images included one showing chains and portions of a woman’s body, another depicting the exterior of William’s estate, and a third revealing the interior of his residence.
Each photo came with a caption, boldly declaring this to be the “dungeon” where Mabel had allegedly been imprisoned for a decade.
“Th–this…” Amid the tense atmosphere, only Brianna dared to speak up. “The byline says… Nova Deriver—that’s Alyssia’s pen name…”
“My sweet Aly would never do such a thing!” Mabel exclaimed, her voice thick with emotion. “She’s beautiful inside and out. How dare you slander her like this? If anyone’s behind this dirty business, it must be you!”
The gazes of William, Nathan, and Daniel simultaneously zeroed in on her.
Brianna thought to herself, ‘It suddenly felt like swords were hanging over my head.‘
Brianna clamped her mouth shut, guilt written all over her face. She didn’t dare say another word.
Diana was drenched in cold sweat, her face as pale as a ghost, looking like she was on the verge of collapse.
“Who wrote this article?” Daniel demanded, his gaze sweeping the room.
No one dared to answer.
“No answer? Fine.” Daniel turned to the IT director trailing behind him. “Lock down the office. Secure all computers. I want a full investigation–now.”
Someone’s computer must contain the original files.
The moment Diana heard this, she knew she was done for.
Daniel didn’t even let his son, Charlie, handle the matter–let alone consult Diana, the supervisor.
‘He’s dead set on wiping me out–no mercy at all!‘ Diana thought.
Exactly. William alone was already a major headache for Vanguard Media, and now with Nathan involved…
Diana’s voice trembled–she didn’t even realize how much it shook–as she tried to speak, “Mr. Dixon…”
Chapter 73
I’m done for, Diana thought in despair.
All of Diana’s dreams shattered in that instant.
At this moment, all Diana felt was overwhelming regret.
‘Why did I ever believe Brianna’s lies and try to frame Alyssia?
‘Why did I fall for the promotion bait and do something that ultimately backfired on me?‘ she thought.
Burying her face in her hands, Diana openly burst into sobs, to everyone’s shock.
With the William scandal exploding like this, even if Mabel really did have mental issues, Diana knew she was utterly doomed.
Daniel wasn’t about to let Diana off that easily. With William, his wife, and Nathan present, he demanded she account for everything.
Charlie fixed Diana with a steely gaze. “Where did those photos come from?” he demanded.
Diana’s voice was barely above a whisper as she admitted, “They’re photoshopped…”
Otherwise, Diana wouldn’t have only shown cropped images.
However, her informant swore up and down that they had seen, with their own eyes, a woman chained up in the backyard.
And yet, Diana had indeed, through some shrewd maneuvering, managed to dig up psychiatric records proving Mabel had visited a psychiatrist many
years ago.
Daniel pressed further, his voice sharp with authority. “Do you have any other fabricated evidence?”
Diana knew that Vanguard Media was determined to eliminate every shred of evidence.
Even if Mabel truly had a mental illness, Vanguard Media would still cover it up.
Diana gave a despairing nod.
The tables had finally turned–Alyssia had won…
If Alyssia hadn’t gone to the printing plant and swapped out the content, Diana would have been the one to win today.
Once the article went live, no matter how much William clarified or how Vanguard Media apologized, Diana would have become an overnight sensation in media circles.
Diana had thought, ‘Even if Vanguard Media let me go, I could still land on my feet elsewhere…‘
But now, she would be kicked to the curb by Vanguard Media without a second thought.
She might even end up with a terrible reputation in the industry.
No regrets, no what–ifs in this world. Diana knew all too well that the corporate battlefield was just as ruthless–only this one was silent and insidious. By the time the final verdict fell, it was already too late..
In front of William and Nathan, Daniel fixed Diana with a piercing gaze and asked, “Do you have any other accomplices?”
Brianna watched Diana anxiously, silently praying, ‘Please don’t sell me out!‘
Brianna breathed a sigh of relief as Diana shook her head and took the fall alone.
Brianna knew full well that Diana was no pushover.
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She didn’t do this out of kindness–far from it. She held leverage over Brianna, ammunition she could use to coerce for its helping with future vaseme
But no matter what, Brianna thought, she had just barely scraped through today’s crisis….
Vanguard Media acted swiftly, Issuing Diana’s official termination notice within half an hour.
The termination notice was scathing in its wording, stating that Diana had violated journalistic ethics and Vanguard Media’s core values try fabrevatne evidence and spreading malicious rumors for personal gain.
Alyssia followed William, Mabel, and Nathan into the conference room.
Nathan smiled warmly at her and said, “William has always spoken highly of you, Ms. Clairmont. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person toder i look forward to our future professional collaboration.”
His words gave Daniel, who stood nearby, pause.
From the moment Mabel laid eyes on Alyssia, she held her hand tightly and simply refused to let go.
“Aly, come by another day and we’ll have a formal ceremony to welcome you into our family. After that, you’ll officially be my daughter”
However, faced with such warmth, Alyssia couldn’t help but feel a little flustered.
That day, Alyssia had accidentally wandered into the secluded private quarters of William’s residence, only to be startled when she heard someone calling her childhood nickname-“Aly.”
Following the voice, Alyssia discovered a hidden chamber–there was Mabel, bound in chains…
At that moment, Mabel was huddled on the ground, her clothes filthy and disheveled, her hair a wild, tangled mess.
But when Mabel saw Alyssia, tears streamed down her face as she cried out desperately, “Aly! It’s me… I’m your mom!”