I laughed—a sound stripped of warmth. “Alright then. Since Richard has decided I’m guilty, I’ll accept the blame.”

“Not just that one leg—I’ve already reserved Lucas’s other leg too.”

“Make sure he gets used to the wheelchair early.”

“You—!” Richard Hart’s polite facade finally cracked, his voice rising with anger. “Ethan! Must you really make things this ugly?”

“We’ve been family friends for years, and you’d destroy it all for an outsider?”

“Yes.”

My answer was crisp and firm.

“Uncle Hart,” I said coldly, “since your family has chosen your side, I’ll respect your choice.”

“From now on, all pretenses are gone.”

Two years ago, during a Cole family banquet, Richard had personally invited my father and me for a private toast. After a few flattering remarks, he brought up a long-forgotten verbal promise—an engagement arranged between my late grandfather and Mr. Hart.

At the time, the Hart family was in decline, and the matter had been quietly set aside.

That night, Richard spoke with careful humility, emphasizing the old bond between our families.

“Mr. Cole, I know it’s bold of me to bring this up now,” he said, his tone deferential.

“But the old man’s greatest wish before he passed was to see Selena’s happiness secured.”

He sighed heavily, stealing glances at my father’s face.

My father, who valued his word and my grandfather’s legacy, was moved.

“Richard, you’re being too modest. Since this was the old man’s wish, it’s only right that we, the younger generation, fulfill it.”

When I later met Selena, I agreed to the engagement.

From that moment, the Cole family began fully supporting the Hart family.

The struggling Hart Group was pulled from the brink brink—receiving huge contracts, easy access to financing, and connections that opened every closed door.

In just two years, the company soared like a rocket, eventually going public and securing its place among the city’s elite.

Richard, once a small-time businessman eager to please everyone, became the confident chairman of a listed company.

As for Selena, I treated her as any fiancé should.

She adored jewelry, especially the work of a particular European designer. So, for her birthday, I reached out to that designer directly, commissioning a custom diamond necklace and earrings—a six-month project, one of a kind.

That night, she was the center of attention among her friends, basking in admiration.

For two years, at business dinners or private events, I gave her the respect and attention she wanted.

Once, a young heir from another wealthy family made a crude remark about her. I didn’t hesitate—I slammed him to the ground in front of everyone.

From that day on, the entire circle knew Selena was mine. No one dared show her the slightest disrespect.

I used my name, my influence, and my patience to lift the Hart family up—and used my sincerity to please her.

Yet this was the return I received: betrayal, perfectly rehearsed lies, and public humiliation.

When I returned home, I called my father. Calmly, I recounted everything that had unfolded that night—including Richard’s shameless accusations.

He was silent for a long moment before speaking, his voice steady.

“The Cole family doesn’t bend.”

“If the Hart family has made their choice, then so be it. Do what needs to be done.”

“I’ll handle the rest.”

His words cleared away the end of my hesitation.

That night, I gave my orders.

Effective immediately—every partnership, contract, and deal between the Cole Group, its subsidiaries, and the Hart Group was to be terminated without exception.

Notify all partners that maintaining close ties with the Hart Group will be regarded as an unfriendly act toward the Cole Group.

The orders went out late that night, and the vast machinery of the Cole empire began to move—efficiently, precisely, and without mercy. By morning, the Cole Group released a formal statement announcing the immediate and total termination of all cooperation with the Hart Group.

The effect was explosive. The news hit the market like a thunderclap, sending ripples across the financial world. By the time trading opened, Hart Group’s stock price plunged so fast that trading was halted within thirty minutes.

I sat in my office, silently watching the cascading green lines of their stock chart.

Before long, my phone vibrated. Selena’s name flashed on the screen.

The moment I answered, her hysterical voice erupted through the line—her tone eerily reminiscent of her “tragic performance” from the night before.

“Ethan! Are you insane? Do you know what you’re doing?!”

“Retract that statement right now—or I’ll make you pay!”

I didn’t answer. I simply ended the call and added her number to my blacklist.

A threat? She still hadn’t realized who held the power now.

But the Hart family’s retaliation came faster—and dirtier—than I anticipated. By noon, the online atmosphere had completely turned out.

A storm of slander flooded major social media sites and forums. Dozens of posts appeared almost simultaneously, each echoing the same narrative—a well-coordinated smear campaign.

The attacks focused on three fabricated themes.

First, I was labeled a tyrant and workplace bully.

An “anonymous former employee” claimed I ruled the Cole Group with arrogance, verbally abusing staff and driving a loyal veteran employee into depression until he resigned.

The post included a grainy photo of me entering the office, my expression conveniently grim.

Second, I was accused of moral corruption and a chaotic private life.

A so-called “insider” alleged that despite my engagement to Selena, I had maintained several mistresses in secret.

They even listed the names of young university women and described supposed encounters in lurid, imaginative detail—written as though they had witnessed them firsthand.

Third, they accused me of ruthless cruelty.

Posts claimed that out of jealousy, I had ordered Lucas’s legs broken to force Selena into submission.

The narrative was packaged as a story of twisted love—a man destroying what he couldn’t possess.

These lies were directly linked to the previous night’s spectacle at the Autumn Festival Banquet dinner. Combined with selective “eyewitness accounts,” the posts were deliberately designed to ignite outrage.

Within hours, armies of paid trolls flooded the comments, flooding every thread with uniform messages.

Phrases like “The stench of capital,” “Punish the abuser,” and “Support Ms. Selena and Mr. Lucas’s true love” trended across platforms.

The Hart family’s PR team had done its work well. They reframed a corporate fallout as a love-and-hate tragedy—casting the Cole Group as a heartless giant crushing two helpless lovers beneath its wealth and influence.

Then came the final act.

Selena and Lucas launched a live broadcast on one of the biggest streaming platforms.

On camera, her eyes were swollen from crying, her makeup faintly smudged for dramatic effect. She leaned against Lucas’s shoulder, the picture of fragile devotion. He, sitting in his wheelchair, appeared pained yet dignified.

Together, they recited their well-rehearsed lines—accusing me and my family of cruelty, of tearing apart a love “too pure for the world.”

Lucas’s performance was masterful. His voice trembled just enough, his expression balanced perfectly between grief and nobility.

“I don’t blame Young Master Ethan,” he told the camera solemnly. “I only blame myself—my lowly status, my unworthiness for Selena—that brought us to this tragedy…”

"But there’s nothing wrong with love. We will fight to the end. For this true love, we have no regrets!"

The livestream’s comment section was a battlefield — overrun by trolls and clueless onlookers. The screen overflowed with insults hurled at me, mixed with waves of sympathy and support for the so-called “star-crossed couple.”

“Ethan, die!”

“Cole’s bankruptcy can’t come soon enough!”

“I feel bad for Selena and Mr. Grant!”

Any voice of reason drowned instantly under a flood of blind emotion.

This carefully planned public opinion attack worked like a charm. After a steep fall in early trading, the Hart Group’s stock price suddenly rebounded. Speculative investors poured in, feeding off sympathy and the company’s image as one that “dares to defy corporate tyranny.” Their stock soared, defying market trends.

Meanwhile, the Cole Group’s stock price plunged—crashing under a torrent of slander, shaken investor confidence, and fears of policy risk.

I stared at the two opposing graphs on my computer screen.

One line shot upward—Hart Group, soaring with false glory.

The other plummeted—Cole Group, collapsing into the red.

The cold glow of the monitor reflected on my face, sharpening my features as a faint, mocking smile curved my lips.

Go ahead. Keep pushing.

Did they really believe such cheap tricks could shake the foundation of the Cole family?

Did they think a few online insults and fabricated sympathy could bring me down?

How naive.

They’ve mistaken the business world for a stage play — thinking emotions can rewrite the rules.

Just then, as Cole Group’s stock hit its lower limit, my phone rang. Lucas. Perfect timing.

He dropped the pretense this time. His voice oozed arrogance and satisfaction.

“Ethan, do you see the situation now?”

“Since you’ve been wagging your tail for Selena these past two years, I’ll be generous and give you two options.”

“First, pay five billion dollar as a breakup fee and part ways peacefully.”

“Second, watch your family go bankrupt and rot in debt.”

I walked to the window, phone still in hand, my voice steady and cold.

“I choose the third option.”

“I’ll send you and the Hart family to hell together.”

He choked for a moment before snapping, his anger barely restrained.

“You— you’re insane!”

I didn’t bother listening.

The call ended with a quiet click.

I turned off my phone.

For two days, Cole Group’s shares stagnated. The online storm raged on, each headline sharper than the last. Within the company, tension rippled through every corridor; the board whispered of collapse.

Yet I remained composed. Meetings continued. Documents were reviewed. Plans were executed.

On the morning of the third day, when our losses topped one hundred billion dollar, I lifted my encrypted phone and sent a single message:

“You can begin now.”