Caitlin had already handled everything, closing the file with a decisive snap. “Then let her come up. Let her experience our company’s ‘people-friendly’ elevator service!”
“Got it,” Yosef suppressed a smile and told the front desk, “You can send her up now.”
The front desk relayed the message to Jasmine, “Ms. Caitlin has finished her meeting. Mr. Yosef is ready to see you. His office is on the 39th floor.”
“Great, thanks!” Jasmine beamed and quickly made her way to the elevator.
As Jasmine stepped into the elevator, she marveled at the luxury of CL Group. The elevator was a glass observation lift, complete with air conditioning and aromatherapy – truly a testament to the extravagance of large companies.
The elevator began ascending smoothly, but suddenly, around the 25th floor, it jolted to a stop.
“What’s going on?”
She pressed the buttons repeatedly, but nothing happened. Could the elevator have broken down?
Jasmine pressed the emergency button, but no response came. Panicking, she pulled out her phone to make a call, only to find there was no signal at all.
This was bad luck at its peak.
She began frantically pressing the emergency bell, shouting, “Hello? Let me out! Is anyone there? I’m stuck in the elevator!”
Despite her desperate cries, the bell remained silent.
Stuck in the elevator with no way out, Jasmine could only wait and hope someone would come to her rescue. But soon, she noticed that the air conditioning was blowing hot air, and the once-pleasant scent of the aromatherapy was replaced by a foul stench, like sewage. The smell was so disgusting it almost made her gag.
“Let me out of here!”
But no one was coming. Caitlin had planned for her to experience the feeling of desperation.
After dealing with some work at the office, Caitlin was on her way to The Gray Family. She had only been at the company for two hours, but in that short time, the situation in New York had changed drastically.
Quade, in an effort to support his wife’s grievance, had begun to target The Vanderbilt Family’s company.
There was a major project at Vanderbilt Enterprises Group that involved a 7G chip technology investment, with Quade slated to review the project. The project’s announcement had caused the company’s stock prices to surge.
However, just two hours ago, a large amount of negative information had been leaked to the public.
An expert had pointed out that the 7G chip technology was still in the experimental phase and would never be implemented in the next decade, casting doubt on the viability of the technology.
Shortly afterward, an economist sharply criticized Vanderbilt Enterprises Group’s 7G chip project, claiming it was a promotional stunt aimed at manipulating the stock market.
Even a television reporter interviewed an expert from the Academy of Sciences, who confirmed that the 7G chip was nothing but a pipe dream, still far from being developed. The reporter advised investors to be cautious.
The backlash was immediate, and Vanderbilt Enterprises Group’s stock prices plummeted.
William, who was temporarily managing Vanderbilt Enterprises Group, saw the news and immediately realized that it was The Gray Family’s doing. He also knew that Caitlin had yet to apologize.
That woman was a disaster, and if she wasn’t stopped, she would drag the entire family down.
He roared, “Find her! Find Caitlin! Bring her here, even if we have to tie her up. She needs to apologize to Mr. Gray!”
*
Vanderbilt Manor.
Xavi returned to report to Sebastian, “Mr. Vanderbilt, the negative news has been overwhelming, all denying the 7G chip’s feasibility, causing the stock market to crash. Vanderbilt Enterprises Group’s stock continues to freefall.”
“Quade’s handiwork.”
Sebastian didn’t need to see it to know that Quade was behind the manipulation. The Gray Family could ruin a company as easily as breathing.
He thought for a moment and then asked, “Caitlin hasn’t gone to The Gray Family yet, has she?”
“No, that’s why The Gray Family continues to pressure The Vanderbilt Family.”
“This time, Quade has gone too far! The Gray Family and The Vanderbilt Family have always kept to themselves, but since he’s acting without any decency, I won’t hold back.”
Sebastian’s anger was palpable. He instructed, “You go! Send Caitlin the dirt on Quade! He thinks he can bully people with his power, but it won’t be so easy!”
“I understand. I’ll go right away.”
Xavi left, but he couldn’t help but wonder if Mr. Vanderbilt was showing some care for Caitlin. After all, he was sending him to deliver the dirt on Quade. Was Sebastian actually trying to protect Caitlin?
Just as Xavi was about to leave, Sebastian stopped him.
“Xavi! Wait!”
“What is it, Mr. Vanderbilt?”
“Send it anonymously. Don’t let her know it was me who told her. I’m not doing this for her, I’m doing it for my son, Howard. Go now!”
Sebastian added quickly, feeling reassured.
Xavi smiled inwardly, shaking his head. Sebastian was clearly trying to save face, but was only making things worse for himself.
*
It was close to midnight when Caitlin received a call from Yosef.
“Mr. Lewis, everything’s been handled. The press release is live.”
“Good.”
Now it was time for the public to know the real reason behind Caitlin’s actions.
Soon after, news outlets began reporting the latest update on Caitlin’s incident.
A video titled “The Full Truth Behind Caitlin’s Incident” was released.
Though the identities of Audrey and Yasmin weren’t directly revealed, the audio made it clear what had happened before the incident.
[“Mom, look, he’s the mute kid in our class!”]
[“Don’t play with him, his brain isn’t normal!”]
[“Mrs. X, don’t you think you’re going too far with your words?”]
[“Miss X, this child from The Vanderbilt Family has problems. I’m afraid he’ll influence my son if they’re classmates.”]
[“Howard looks like a papaya, poor thing doesn’t have a mom, hurry up and go home, little freak…”]
Then came the sounds of a scuffle between the children, followed by the screams of a woman.
[“Hey, hey, what’s going on? Dare you hit my son?”]
[“What’s going on? You’re out of control! How dare you hit my son! You little bastard, I’ll teach you a lesson!”]
[“Who are you? What do you think you’re doing?”]
[“Want to hit my son? Let’s see who dares to bully my son!”]
That was Caitlin’s voice. Netizens immediately recognized it.
[“What do you mean ‘your son’? Where did you come from? Stop pretending!”]
[“Who is she?”]
[“She’s the woman who married Mr. Vanderbilt by proxy. Her name is Caitlin.”]
[“Oh! So you’re the contract wife of The Vanderbilt Family! I thought you were the real mom. Just a stepmother. What’s so special about you?”]
[“Apologize to my son!”]
The recording continued, showing Caitlin demanding an apology before resorting to physical action.
After this audio was released, the public began to understand the true story behind the incident. They realized they had wrongly blamed Caitlin.
It was Audrey and her son who were truly in the wrong. Caitlin had only stepped in to protect Howard, and their bullying was fully deserving of retribution.
Although Caitlin was a contract wife, she acted like a real mother, protecting her son from harm. Her fierce maternal love moved many people.
The news quickly spread, and the tide turned. The comments flooded in, with people supporting Caitlin.
The public turned on Audrey and demanded an apology.
As Caitlin’s car neared The Gray Family, her phone suddenly received a message from an unknown number.
After reading the content, a trace of surprise appeared on her cold face. *How could this be…?*