Chapter 55 Public Battle
Chapter 55 Public Battle
“Sir, Madam has left. Mr. Harry still hasn’t woken up.”
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“Good,” came Alan’s cold reply through the phone. “So long as he doesn’t wake. No matter how useless he is, he’s still a son of the Moore family. He may die, but no outsider will be allowed to humiliate him.”
“Yes.”
Nathan added, “Jade brought people back with her this time. The men we stationed to watch Madam can’t get close anymore.”
On the other end there was silence, then a sharp laugh.
“That won’t last. Splendid’s headquarters are in Pinetown. She’ll have to return to take charge. She can’t stay here forever.”
“When she’s gone, Claudia will be just as alone as before.”
Though she had already resigned, Claudia still had a few days left to finish the process. The next morning she reported to the office as usual, quietly fulfilling her last duties.
Not long after the morning meeting, her phone rang. Gloria.
“Well done, Claudia! You’ve really slapped Summer in the face this time! What kind of shameless third–rate woman pulls this off? She’s one of a kind!”
Confused, Claudia listened while Gloria chattered excitedly, urging her to check the message she had just sent.
Still on the call, Claudia opened her phone and tapped into the link Gloria had forwarded.
A trending headline appeared at the very top: an official announcement from Splendid’s verified account.
“Miss Summer has no collaboration with Splendid, nor is there any commercial dispute. Due to certain unforeseen circumstances, the Moonrose gown was incomplete and required further adjustment, and was therefore recalled.”
It was unmistakably Jade’s hand behind this.
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Chapter 55 Public Battle
Why had her grandaunt chosen to release such a statement?
Scrolling down through the comments, Claudia began to piece it together.
Summer, after all, held some fame in the international music world. She was well known, and last night she had appeared at a major banquet wearing the Moonrose gown, a creation said to have been made personally by Splendid’s founder. Videos of her performance in the dress quickly spread online, stirring no small amount of buzz.
Curious netizens dug deeper and discovered even more. Summer was not only a celebrated musician abroad, but also held a doctorate from Belle Business Academy, and upon returning home had been parachuted in as president of Moore Corporation’s subsidiary, Fane Tech. On top of that, she was the only daughter of the Zach family–and strikingly beautiful.
Multiple identities, outstanding credentials, stunning looks.
The internet flooded with praise.
But then the tide shifted. A video surfaced showing the latter part of the banquet, when Summer was no longer wearing the Moonrose gown.
The person who posted it mocked her: Summer had worn a dress made for someone else, only to have the true owner demand it back midway through the event.
At first, few believed it. Commenters accused the uploader of petty jealousy, unable to stomach someone so talented, wealthy, and privileged.
But the uploader shot back: if the gown truly belonged to her, why hadn’t she worn it for the whole night?
At that very moment, Splendid issued its official statement. Though neutral on the surface, it confirmed that Summer had no ties with Splendid at all. The gown’s recall was framed as an issue of completion and adjustment, not allegiance.
Yet with the video and the announcement side by side, the truth became obvious.
If Summer had no connection with Splendid, why had she been wearing one of its gowns?
The trending lists exploded. Public opinion swung violently against her. Suddenly, Summer was branded vain, deceitful, and a thief of someone else’s glory.
It was this reversal Gloria had seen that filled her with glee. She had been furious the night before, hearing only that Summer had flaunted the gown. Now, seeing her exposed online, she
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Chapter 55 Public Battle
was delighted.
“Our grandaunt really is amazing!” Gloria crowed.
She knew from Claudia that Jade had returned. As her best friend, she also knew exactly how close the two were. It wasn’t hard to guess that Jade had orchestrated the turn in public opinion.
Claudia herself felt little beyond weary resignation. She was about to exit the trending page when the top headline shifted again.
The official account of Moore Corporation had released a statement of its own.
“Recent online rumors targeting Summer, president of Fane Tech, are defamatory attempts to slander and smear. Evidence has been preserved and legal action will be pursued.”
Not only that–Alan, the reclusive prodigy director of Moore Corporation, suddenly reactivated his long–dormant personal account to repost the statement.
One of the world’s top conglomerates had stepped into the fray, its legendary young personally lending weight. The hot search list went into meltdown.
director
Where moments before the tide had turned against Summer, now the voices defending her drowned out all criticism.
And layered over it all were whispers of scandalous speculation—
“She’s gorgeous, and Mr. Moore is said to be young and handsome too. Would he really step in for a newly appointed subsidiary president if there wasn’t… something between them?”
“Insider here–they’ve been childhood friends for years!”
“Childhood sweetheart saves his beloved! Fairy tale come true!”
“The genius heir of Moore and the noble Zach heiress–childhood sweethearts, love written in the stars!”
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