Averi took a shower and went to the office. As soon as he got out of the elevator, Jordan jumped over with a cane.
"Averi, J City News posted an interview video with your wife on social media this morning, and it's already trending."
"Be careful, "Averi helped her first before taking the phone to check.
In the video, Mareli appeared somewhat serious and seemed very embarrassed about what she was going to say next: "We shouldn't have exposed our family secrets, and I didn't want things to end up like this."
A faceless journalist asked her, "Mareli, you said that Cristopher was deceived into transferring his shares while in a state of confusion, right"
Mareli: "Yes, that's right."
"Could you please provide a specific description of the situation at that time?"
In a coordinated back-and-forth, it was implied that Averi, taking advantage of her father's weakened state, half-coercing, half-playing the dutiful daughter, forced Cristopher to allocate his estate early, securing the two core companies under the J Corporation for herself, leaving the less profitable businesses to others.
Mareli described how Averi had "tormented" her ailing father with such vivid detail it was as if she'd witnessed it firsthand. But if Mareli was truly there, why hadn't she stopped her? And why wait half a year to bring it up again?
Upon closer examination, it was full of holes, but the interview fed the public's curiosity, making the truth secondary. The critical detail, however, was that the interview was conducted in the Forbes family's old residence. Though Cristopher himself didn't appear, the location suggested he was aware of and even tacitly approved Mareli's actions.
If Averi hadn't been so high-profile recently, this interview might not have attracted so much attention.
It was a classic case of shooting herself in the foot.
Jordan was at a loss. With infighting at Cristopher's own household, the PR department didn't dare intervene.
While Jordan was distressed, Averi remained calm, even letting out a faint smile as she watched the video to the end.
Maeve had mentioned that Mareli, while she was away, had brought a lawyer to their home, hoping to have Cristopher file a suit against her. Now, it seemed Cristopher hadn't agreed, prompting Mareli to resort to the media. Cristopher's willingness to let Mareli pull this stunt was clearly more about giving Averi a nudge, a way to test her reaction without blowing things up.
The news seemed explosive, but if Cristopher came forward and said, "It was all a misunderstanding," it would blow over easily.
Whether to clear things up or let it slide, and when to do it—all depended on whether she behaved well enough.
The same ailment afflicts all those in power—they never let go easily. Even when they manage to release their grip physically, they're still holding on in their hearts.
And that was exactly the mindset Averi intended to exploit.
"Averi?" Jordan was confused by her smile.
Averi helped her up. "Let's talk in the office."
*
Once inside the office, Averi asked, "How's your leg?"
Jordan replied honestly, "Much better. The doctor says I'll be able to walk on my own next week."
Averi nodded, lowering her gaze in thought for a moment before looking back up. "Jordan, can I trust you?"
Her expression was calm, her tone light, yet it conveyed an overwhelming sense of pressure.
A tension tightened in Jordan's scalp. She took a breath before saying, "You hired me right out of college, Boss. My friends thought I'd hit the jackpot—and honestly, so did I. I've valued every minute here. I won't go on about it, but someone as sharp as you? You know who's real and who's not."
Averi laughed, "You're pretty good at flattery."
Jordan blinked, then offered a slightly embarrassed smile.
After the laughter faded, Averi's expression turned serious. "Jordan, I need you to hire a paparazzo to follow me."
Jordan asked, stunned, "Follow you for what?"
"Me and Maeve."
What?
Jordan hadn't yet registered what was happening when the woman across from her continued, "And one more thing, can you reach out privately to the branch manager at Riverbank Commercial? I'm planning to move forward with the Plenex project."
"Averi?" Jordan gasped, "Didn't Frank say—"
"I know.""I know," Averi interrupted. "Just do as I say.""
The Plenex Project was a publicly listed company with a market cap of 2 billion dollars, spanning industries from film production to game licensing and online reading. Long before Cristopher's stroke, Averi had already caught wind that Plenex was open to selling a 28% stake for 1 billion dollars. If this acquisition went through, it would not only fill a crucial gap in J Corporation's portfolio but would also make them the controlling power behind Plenex.
However, Averi had learned from Frank that, besides J Corp, there was another contender—an H Corporation—intensely interested in The Plenex Project, so much so that they seemed determined to secure it at any cost. Frank specifically mentioned this because one of the shareholders in the company was an investment firm called "Skybridge Capital," whose primary backer was another investment firm. After peeling back the layers, the trail led to someone named Khalil Merritt.
Khalil was mysterious, with very little public information available, though rumors circulated that he was directly related to a current Party official with the same surname, Merritt.
Some rumors, no matter how true, can only remain rumors, and Frank left it at that.
And before this Party official's recent promotion, he had served as the president of Commercial Bank of J City.
Taking all this into account, Averi ultimately decided to let go of Plenex project. Since the other party was so interested, there was no need for her to wade into troubled waters—it was better to earn some goodwill for future dealings.
But now…
Averi stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the bustling traffic below.
She hoped it wouldn't come to that.
*
A few days later, a gossip article titled "Heartless Socialite of a Wealthy Family" suddenly went viral on the Internet. It all began when a well-known paparazzo captured photos of Averi and Maeve laughing and shopping for designer bags. Maeve's identity was quickly exposed: how could an ordinary nurse afford a full set of luxury items, and how did she manage to win the favor of the third Miss Forbes?
It was shocking enough that Christopher had moved both his girlfriend and his wife under the same roof, but what truly astonished everyone was that the family's third daughter, eager to win her father's favor, had forged a close, almost sisterly bond with a woman barely a year younger than herself.
Combined with Mareli's public accusations from a few days ago, a tale of rich family drama formed in many people's minds. As the beneficiary, Averi naturally became the one with deep scheming, manipulative, and venomous intentions.
Some even suggested that the young caregiver might have been brought in by Averi herself to captivate Cristopher. Otherwise, why would Cristopher bypass his experienced eldest son in favor of a much younger daughter? It just didn't add up—none of it made sense.
