Chapter 79

"Idiot!" Marie's voice cracked like a whip, her chest tight with fury and dread.

She should've shut Phyllis down the moment she caught wind of those trending topics last night.

Unfortunately, greed and overblown confidence had blinded her.

She'd convinced herself Wesley barely cared about Gabriela or maybe found her such a headache that he'd toss her aside without a second thought.

But who could have guessed the entire scandal would vanish from the internet by morning? Deleted.Erased. As if it had never existed.

And who else could pull strings like that except Wesley himself?

The message couldn't have been clearer: Gabriela was under his protection. Handing the house back quietly might've kept the peace.

But, no! Phyllis had to go live, grinning into the camera as if she were the victim. She was digging her own grave.

Marie snapped, pacing like a caged tiger, "Wesley had the trending topics killed overnight. He's protecting Gabriela, and you still dare to livestream?What are you thinking? That you're important enough for him to crush personally?"

Phyllis crossed her arms, chin tiIted in defiance."No matter how rich or powerful he is, he can't muzzle the entire internet."

She thought back to the flood of sympathy in her live chat as millions rallied behind her, spitting venom at Gabriela's name.

The memory curled her lips into a smug smile.

Trending topics? Sure, he could erase those. But public opinion? That was a beast even Wesley couldn't cage.

"You idiot! Get back on that livestream and apologize to Gabriela! Right now!" Marie's temper was a storm breaking loose. She couldn't comprehend how a woman as shrewd and capable as herself had ended up with a daughter so dangerously clueless.

"If you don't do as I say," she shouted, her voice cutting through the air, "then pack your things tonight and get the hell out of here! Go live in that pathetic shoebox your poor husband calls home!"

Phyllis, spoiled from birth and unaccustomed to such brutal words, slammed her phone down.

From across the room, Vivian's amused laugh floated over. "Let me guess, your mother's asking you to let Gabriela off the hook?"

Phyllis scowled, arms crossed, though a flicker of unease passed through her eyes. "She's scared Wesley will take Gabriela's side."

Vivian waved off the concern with a lazy smirk. "Please. You know exactly what kind of man Wesley is. If he really gave a damn, he'd have done more than just scrub the trending topics last night."

By the window, Gem lounged with feline grace,admiring her freshly painted nails. She didn't even look up as she chimed in, her tone silky and dismissive. "Wesley lives in a world none of us will ever touch. Gabriela's just a pretty distraction to him,nothing more. Wiping those trending topics? That was a casual flick of his wrist. You really think he's in love with her?"

In just six months, Gem had climbed from a few hundred followers to thirty million, riding a wvave of influence powered by a benefactor whose reach was every bit as dangerous as it was powerful.

"And look at Claire! She's the one who actually lit the match for those trending topics," Gem said, still admiring the glossy curve of her nails. "If Wesley were truly out for blood over some woman, Claire would've been exiled from the entertainment industry before sunrise." Phyllis felt some of the tightness in her chest ease at Gem's calm, cutting logic.

Exactly. Why would a man like Wesley waste his energy protecting Gabriela for long?

And Phyllis had already planted the seed that Gabriela was still hung up on Dustin. If Wesley had even an ounce of pride as a man, the idea would fester.

Surely by now, Gabriela was halfway out the door of the Moss Manor, if not already thrown to the curb.

The more she thought about it, the more certain Phyllis became.

The internet was in a frenzy today, a perfect storm of scandal. Gabriela's name had shot to the top ofthe trending list like a flare in the night.

Those in the know spat her name like a curse. While curious strangers, lured in by the sudden buzz,looked her up, only to join the chorus of mockery and contempt. Then came the twist. A minor influencer, known online as Little Bell, dropped a video.

It was Farley's account of what had really happened.

In the video, he didn't waste a second on pleasantries. His voice was steady, but there was a hard edge beneath it.

"My name is Farley Moreno. I once served as the assistant to Ms. Alanna Haynes, the former CEO of the Haynes Group. She wasn't just a remarkable leader, she was a devoted mother who cherished Gabriela like the most precious thing in her life.When Gabriela was only eight, tragedy struck. Ms. Haynes was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Knowing her time was short, she entrusted her younger brother,Josh, with Gabriela's care. She even paid off more than thirty thousand in gambling debts for his wife,Marie-hoping that kindness would buy Gabriela a lifetime of peace."

Pausing for a moment, Farley's jaw tightened."After Ms. Haynes passed, Marie took over the Haynes Group and used her position to frame me for embezzlement. I had no way to fight back and I was forced to resign. It didn't end there. She sent men to break my right leg and warned me to stay far away from her affairs. She thought that by cutting down everyone who'd been close to Ms. Haynes, she could finally sleep easy. What she never knew, was that l kept a copy of Ms. Haynes's will."

His hands shook as he held the document up to the camera.

The words were clear, stark, undeniable. "Haynes Group is to be temporarily managed by Josh Haynes.Once Gabriela Haynes reaches the age of twenty-two, the company must be returned to her,unconditionally."

The title of the video flashed across the screen:Gabriela's Late Mother's Will.

It was Gabriela's own choice. A deliberate spark to ignite the flames. She'd be a fool not to ride this wave, especially when it was her story to tell.

And it worked. The moment the video went live,the internet lit up. Shocked viewers flooded the comments, sharing and reposting until the story began to spread like wildfire.

Meanwhile, Wesley had eyes everywhere. The moment the video crossed his desk, he didn't hesitate. One call, and the clip was flooded with paid traffic, catapulting it straight to the top of the trending list.

Within hours, the video wasn't just viral; it was the most talked about thing online.

Little Bell's follower count exploded by hundreds of thousands, climbing by the minute. Sensing the momentum, she struck again.

The second video opened with a scene that hooked viewers instantly.

Tyler, a debt collector with a gravelly voice and a scowl, addressed the camera, demanding repayment from Marie. "You've been carrying these gambling debts for sixteen years, Marie Haynes. And we're not even asking for interest, just the damn principal. Consider it a favor."

Tyler held up the IOU, then laid bare his father's ruin,using it as a stark warning against the grip of gambling.

The proof was unshakable. Sixteen years ago, Marie hadn't just been a gambler; she had been drowning in debt. And the one who'd thrown her a lifeline,covering every last cent, had been Gabriela's mother,Alanna.

When both videos finished their circuit online, a strange hush fell over the internet. It was the silence before the backlash, that collective pause when millions of people realized the story they'd been shouting about was not true.

An hour ago, Gabriela's name had been spat like poison. People had been calling her every insult in the book. Some had even planned to track her down in person, certain they were on the side of justice.

The videos hit the internet like a slap that echoed,leaving the mob stunned and off-balance.An influencer with fifty million followers cut straight to the bone. "Phyllis and her family were liars.On her live stream, she claimed Gabriela was trying to steal her home. That was a lie. The house they were staying in was Gabriela's to begin with. Yet, Phyllis still dared to play the victim. That's not just shameless; it's rotten."

Then came another blow.

Gabriela's high school teacher stepped forward and made a post. "Gabriela was an extraordinary student.When her aunt refused to pay her tuition and even tried to have her expelled, she worked part-time to cover her own fees. She sat for the college entrance exam with a fever and still earned a place at Okburg's top university, Rutherford University. I wanted to help her more back then, but her aunt was too domineering. All I could do was offer small,discreet aid. I still regret not doing more."

This video spread like wildfire, reshared again and again, each repost twisting the knife in Phyllis's public image.