Chapter 265
Rumors and Roadblocks
“Scarlett’s private life is a disaster–she slept her way into the Kramer deal!”
“Exposed! Scarlett isn’t even Lane blood. She was adopted, and now she’s betraying the family, stealing her cousin Aurora’s project!”
The posts spread like wildfire, each one more malicious than the last.
A picture of her talking to Jack at a gala was labeled “intimate.”
A photo with Samuel was smeared with captions about her “seducing the chairman.”
Even her adoption by the Joyners was twisted into claims she had stolen the place of the real daughter.
Within hours, #SchemingScarlett hit the top of the trending list.
Star Corp’s phones wouldn’t stop ringing. Shareholders demanded answers. The stock price dipped under the pressure.
Her assistant rushed in, frantic. “What do we do? These lies are poisonous! Aurora’s trying to bury you alive!”
Scarlett looked at the flood of comments on her screen. Her expression didn’t shift; her eyes even glinted with faint amusement.
Compared to what she endured in the Joyner family, this was nothing. She had lived years with sneers cutting her down daily, endured a birthday banquet filled with open ridicule.
This storm was barely a breeze.
But Jack and Taylor didn’t see it that way.
They launched into the fight head–on, unleashing Lane and Damian resources. The counterattack was swift, brutal, and precise. Within hours, the smear campaign was drowning under the weight of their pushback, and some of the loudest voices online deleted their accounts in shame.
Aurora hadn’t expected the internet to turn against her so quickly.
She watched the tide shifting, her pulse racing.
That was when Madam Susan pressed a pendant into her hand.
11:36 Sun, Sep 21
…
Chapter 265 Rumors and Roadblocks
It was flawless jade, heavy and gleaming under the light. Worth a fortune.
Aurora’s breath hitched. “This…”
“My token,” the old woman said coolly. “Take it to the official. See the director yourself.”
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+8 Pearls
Her sharp gaze flicked to Aurora’s laptop screen. “Timing is everything. Not long ago, another family’s heir made a careless remark. Their rivals unleashed the net, and within weeks their empire collapsed, their assets carved apart. Scarlett hasn’t slipped. Right now, every word against her looks like slander.”
Aurora ducked her head. “I just thought-”
“You thought gossip alone could ruin her?”
A dismissive wave. “You’re still too green. Go secure the project. And once you do, move out of this house.”
Aurora blinked. “Move out? Why?”
The old matriarch’s tone was cutting. “Do you think the others don’t see your scheming? Once
you
have the project, you’ll have a foothold. Bring your mother, bring your uncle–build your own base. But you won’t need to live under my roof.”
Aurora clutched the pendant tighter, her pulse hammering.
So that was it. She was nothing but a piece on her grandmother’s board.
But pawns could rise, and she had luck on her side.
She straightened, confidence burning in her eyes. “Don’t worry. After this meeting, the project will be mine.”
She arrived at the appointed building in perfect makeup, an expensive gift bag in hand.
At the door, she was stopped.
“I have an appointment,” she said sharply, flashing her confirmation email. “See? Check carefully.”
The staffer scanned it, then smiled politely. “I’m sorry, miss. The director is unavailable. You
can’t enter.”
Aurora’s temper flared, but she forced it down.
“I booked this meeting.”
11:36 Sun, Sep 21 d.
Chapter 265 Rumors and Roadblocks
“My apologies,” the staffer said smoothly. “Your appointment has been canceled.”
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+8 Pearls
Her grip on the gift bag tightened. “Canceled? Do you realize the consequences of canceling on me without warning?”
The man’s smile didn’t falter. “It was the director’s instruction. He sends his regrets.”
Aurora froze.
Two hours of careful makeup, a lavish gift, the perfect dress-
And the door still shut in her face.