Chapter 187

Cody lowered his voice and said, “Mrs. Simpson released an official statement online to prevent the company’s stock from plummeting. She’s publicly cut ties with you both personally and professionally. From now on, she won’t intervene in your company or any of your affairs.”

Vance blinked, and tears immediately welled up in his eyes. He thought, ‘Is Mom serious?’ He couldn’t understand why she would do this to him.

He quickly wiped away the tears, forcing himself to stay composed. Looking at Cody, he said firmly, “Find a way to fix this. I can’t afford to let my only company go under.”

Cody kept his head down, pursing his lips in silence.

Vance’s gaze turned icy. “What are you waiting for? Get moving! Do whatever it takes to bury the trending topic.”

Cody shook his head, his expression troubled. “Mr. Simpson, it’s no use. What you said earlier can’t be explained away, and it was live-streamed. Everyone knows now that Natalie was brought into the Simpson family as a stepping stone for Ms. Simpson.

“And those photos—they’re obvious fakes. Experts can spot the edits right away. Now the narrative has flipped completely, and everyone can see you were trying to set Natalie up.”

“Get out! I don’t care what it takes. Bury that trending topic!” Vance roared, his frustration boiling over. For the first time, he didn’t know what to do.

Wendy had always been the backbone of their family and the company. No matter what happened, she would always step in and fix it. However, this time, she had left him.

Vance was panicking, completely losing his composure. “I’ll go to see Easton. You hurry up and deal with the trending topic.” Vance rushed back to his office, grabbed his car keys, and headed out. There were only two people who could fix everything for him. He relied on his mom for everyday issues, and for serious crises, he turned to Easton.

To him, Easton was someone who would always drop everything for him.

Meanwhile, Natalie sat in the car, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Luna. “Having relatives like this is quite exhausting, isn’t it?”

Luna, being straightforward, exploded with indignation. “Why even bother with family like that, Natalie? You’d be better off without them. All they do is scheme against you, and the moment you’re no longer useful, they toss you aside.

“Alright, how about I take you out for some food? Something delicious will cheer you up!”

Natalie shook her head with a soft smile on her lips. “Didn’t we just eat? Let’s head back to work.”

Natalie knew the rumors were bound to collapse. She had to make sure that the fashion show would be a success and that Jennifer could never become an actress again.

She was determined to make Jennifer walk the path she had taken earlier. She was also set on uncovering the man backing Jennifer and ensuring he couldn’t harm Gordon.

As Luna drove back, Natalie got a call from Maurice. “Are you okay, Natalie?” Maurice’s deep voice was filled with concern.

Natalie smiled faintly, her tone calm. “I’m fine, Maurice. I’m on my way back to the office right now. Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”

Maurice replied, “Alright, I’m waiting for you downstairs at your office. See you in a bit.”

“Got it!” Natalie replied.

Almost immediately, her phone lit up with calls from Tiana, Zoe, and James, each of them checking in on her. She reassured them one by one, letting them know she was fine.

Meanwhile, chaos erupted online. Vance was hit by the sheer volume of criticism. For the first time, he experienced what it felt like to be at the center of an internet scandal. In the past, he had felt smug watching people hurl insults at Natalie.

However, reading the countless comments branding him an asshole and a liar, he was consumed with rage, yet completely powerless to refute them. He knew this was all part of Natalie’s plan.

Then again, he remembered that he was the one who started this mess by slandering Natalie online.

He thought, ‘So this is what it feels like to be vilified. If only Natalie had stayed in her impoverished town and out of my way, none of this would have happened!’

As Vance parked his car at his company’s entrance, his phone rang—it was Jason. “Did you see the live stream? Natalie is so cunning! She completely set me up!” Vance burst out.

Jason said calmly, “Didn't I tell you to stop being so cruel to Natalie right after you came back? She didn’t do anything wrong. You’re the one who provoked her first.”

Jason’s tone remained steady, but he knew his stubborn younger brother wouldn’t listen. Vance was determined to help Jennifer.

Jason’s words hit hard. “Natalie is our younger sister. She was taken away as a baby, and she didn’t have a choice in any of this. And yet, you’re hurting her for the sake of Jennifer. Think about what you’re doing, Vance.”

Before Vance could respond, Jason ended the call abruptly.

“Hello? Jason?” Vance was furious but didn’t dwell too long on Jason’s scolding. He stepped out of the car, heading straight for Easton’s office. However, as he approached the entrance, a security guard blocked his path.

Vance frowned. “You don’t recognize me, do you? I’m the future brother-in-law of your boss. Let him know I’m here and tell him to come down right now.”

The security guard looked unimpressed. “Sorry, Sir. Mr. Garcia has instructed us not to let you in. Please leave.”

Vance froze. He thought, ‘Did Easton know I was coming? And he didn’t want to see me.’ Anger boiled over as he pulled out his phone and called Easton.

To his surprise, the call connected. Vance sounded excited. “Easton, you saw the live stream, right? Natalie set me up. You’ve got to help me!”

Easton’s voice was cold. “Vance, before you say another word, let me remind you that the person who you’re trying to frame is my wife. I’ve seen and heard everything. I’ve been helping your family for years. Haven’t I done enough? Natalie is still my wife, okay?”

With that, Easton hung up. “What’s wrong with him?” Vance muttered. He couldn’t wrap his head around Easton’s sudden shift. In the past, any crisis involving the Simpson family—or even Jennifer—was always resolved by Easton. Now, with everyone online targeting Jennifer, Easton seemed completely indifferent.

The thought gnawed at Vance. It had only been a year since he left. He thought, ‘How could everything turn upside down in such a short time?

He tried calling Easton again, but the line went unanswered. Frustrated, Vance gritted his teeth. Just then, he noticed a group of reporters approaching. Panic kicked in, and without wasting a second, he jumped into his car and sped off.

As he passed Natalie’s company, he saw Natalie at the entrance, talking to Maurice.

Maurice handed Natalie a cup of milkshake. The autumn breeze played gently with Natalie’s hair. Her smile was radiant, a mixture of warmth and mischief, as if the chaos of the world didn’t touch her.

Vance was distracted for a second, nearly hitting a pedestrian on the side of the road. Slamming on the brakes, he stopped just in time, though the pedestrian yelled a string of curses before walking off. Across the street, Natalie and Maurice entered the building.

Vance’s eyes burned with fury. “I won’t let you get away with this, Natalie!”

As he sped off, his phone buzzed. It was his assistant, Cody. “Mr. Simpson, we can’t contain the trending scandal. Everyone is calling you a vile, heartless person, and the deals we just secured have all been canceled.”

At that moment, Vance finally understood what it meant to dig his own grave. Natalie’s move didn’t just destroy his reputation—it crushed his company and ruined Jennifer’s prospects.

Jennifer wasted no time rushing to Colin for help. Her tear-streaked face looked pitiful as she clung to his arm.

“I had no idea things would spiral like this. Vance is too reckless. He only did this because he cared about me. What should I do now?” Jennifer whimpered, deliberately collapsing into Colin’s embrace. “Please, you have to help me. I can’t lose this opportunity!”