Chapter 68

“Got it! Leave it to us.”

“Half an hour. I’ll wait outside,” Isabel said, closing the door behind her. She grabbed a chair and calmly sat by the door. Blake arrived moments later, looking visibly tense until he saw Isabel.

“Isabel, are you okay?”

“Why are you sitting here?”

“Waiting for the fun to start,” she replied with a smirk. Blake could tell something was brewing but stayed quiet, sitting beside her.

Inside the room, the drugs had taken full effect. Amelia and Ethan were flushed and restless.

“Ethan, I’m burning up! I can’t stand it!” Amelia whined, tugging at her clothes.

“Me too…” Ethan mumbled. He stumbled toward the door but was dragged back by one of the crew members.

“Relax,” the man said. “Cooperate, and this will all be over soon.”

“You traitors! I hired you, and now you’re turning on me!” Ethan snarled.

“Look, we’re just here for the money,” one of the crew replied.

“I’ll pay you sixty thousand, just help us!” Ethan pleaded, visibly sweating.

“Sorry, pal. There’s no antidote for that stuff,” the man said. “And honestly? That lady outside? We’re not crossing her.”

“You… bastards!” Ethan weakly hurled a pillow, which barely hit its mark.

“Save it,” another crew member muttered. “You’ll lose control in no time.”

The drug hit its peak, leaving Ethan and Amelia dazed and barely coherent. Ethan felt like he was about to explode, his body overwhelmed by the heat. The crew wasted no time setting up equipment and rolling the cameras.

Half an hour later, they stepped out of the room.

“All done, ma’am.”

“Great. Show me your bank QR,” Isabel said. She scanned the code and transferred thirty thousand with a few taps. Before the crew left, Isabel leaned in and whispered something to their leader. He nodded knowingly and disappeared with his team.

“What’s going on, Isabel!” Blake asked.

“Go look for yourself,” she replied, gesturing to the door.

Blake stepped inside and froze. On the bed lay Ethan and Amelia, barely clothed and completely disheveled. The room reeked of chaos. He quickly pieced it together.

“They tried to set you up, didn’t they? And you flipped it on them.”

“Exactly. The goal was to ruin my reputation so Amelia could swoop in and take my place.”

Blake’s jaw tightened. “Unbelievable.”

“But they messed with the wrong person.”

“What are you planning to do with the footage? Post it?”

“Of course. Ethan’s career is over once this gets out. Let’s see how the Clydes handle the fallout. This time, she’d ruin the Clydes.”

Blake smirked. “It’s not enough.”

“Oh! What else do you have in mind?” she asked, intrigued.

“You’ll see. Anyone who targets you will have to answer to me.”

Isabel sent the footage to Chris, who wasted no time. An hour later, the videos hit the web, spreading like wildfire. As one of the top influencers with high-profile projects in the pipeline, Ethan’s scandal dominated the headlines, and the internet exploded. The internet was divided; one side mocked Ethan for the scandal, while diehard fans defended him, claiming he was set up.

At the Clydes’ home, Ethan was in shambles. He had just told his parents, Rosy and Caius, about the situation when the news broke. Rosy slapped Ethan and Amelia, shaking with fury.

“You two are a disgrace! You’re siblings! How could you…? This is the biggest scandal our family’s ever faced! How am I supposed to show my face?”

Amelia dropped to her knees, sobbing. “Mom, it wasn’t us! Isabel set us up! She drugged us. It’s all her doing!”

“Exactly!” Ethan added, panicking. “She’s a manipulative snake. I never thought she’d go this far!”

Rosy was livid, while Caius roared, “That cursed girl has brought nothing but trouble! We should’ve completely destroyed her back then! She never should have been allowed back into the Clydes!”

“But what do we do now?” Rosy asked, frantic. “The entire family depends on Ethan! If his reputation tanks, we’re doomed!”

Ethan steadied himself. “Mom, relax. My PR team has already issued a statement saying I was framed. We’ve involved the police, too. Once they investigate, Isabel will get what’s coming. Besides, I’m the victim here. My fans won’t abandon me, and the sponsors won’t drop me over this. Once this blows over, I’ll deal with her personally.”

Then, his phone rang with more bad news. His manager informed him that the police investigation turned up nothing. Surveillance footage didn’t show her entering the building. Worse, the filming crew pinned everything on Ethan, presenting chat logs and payment receipts proving he’d hired them.

The police closed the case, declaring it a publicity stunt by Ethan. With chat logs and payment receipts as evidence, the police thought he was fooling them! Furious, Ethan almost slammed his phone down. “How could there be no footage of her at the restaurant?!”

What Ethan didn’t realize was that Isabel had wiped the security footage before leaving, erasing any trace of herself. Meanwhile, the evidence left behind sealed his guilt. Seething, Ethan slammed his fist onto the table. “Isabel, you conniving witch! You’ve won this round, but I’ll destroy you. When I’m back, it’s your life on the line!”