Kapitel 50: Chapter Fourty Eight: A Public Storm
The morning began like any other, with Mia rushing through her routine before heading to work. She grabbed her bag and hurried out the door, her mind occupied with tasks for the day ahead. However, as she stepped into the bustling street, she immediately sensed something was amiss. People were staring. Some whispered to each other, their eyes darting to her and then away. A woman even paused mid-stride to glance at her, then quickly averted her gaze.
Shrugging it off, Mia continued to the subway. But by the time she reached her office, the odd feeling had escalated into a palpable tension. The air in the office buzzed with murmurs and sidelong glances. Small groups of her colleagues huddled together, exchanging hushed conversations. As she walked past, the whispers seemed to follow her.
"Why is everyone acting so weird?" Mia muttered under her breath as she approached her desk.
Her friend Clara intercepted her before she could sit down. Clara's face was a mix of concern and hesitation.
"Mia," she began carefully, her voice low, "you haven't seen it yet, have you?"
"Seen what?" Mia asked, frowning.
Clara handed her phone to Mia. The screen displayed an inflammatory tabloid headline in bold, capital letters:
ADRIAN BLACK'S SECRET AFFAIRS: THE WOMAN BEHIND THE SCANDAL
Mia's breath caught. Below the headline was a photo of her, cropped from one of her recent outings with Adrian.
"This… this can't be real," Mia stammered, her hand shaking as she scrolled through the article.
"They're saying you're the other woman," Clara explained gently, her brows furrowed. "That Adrian was still with Sophie when you two got together."
"That's a lie!" Mia exclaimed, her voice trembling. "Adrian told me he ended things with Sophie long before we met. This is ridiculous!"
Clara sighed. "I believe you, Mia, but the article… it's everywhere. They've got 'evidence'—texts, photos, testimonies from so-called 'friends.' It's all over social media, too. People are going crazy over it."
Mia scrolled through the article, her heart sinking with every paragraph. It was a masterful mix of half-truths and outright lies, designed to paint her as a homewrecker. Sophie's fingerprints were all over it.
---
Across town, Adrian was dealing with the fallout in his office. His phone vibrated incessantly with calls from reporters, clients, and board members. His assistant, Susan, rushed in, her face pale and her expression frazzled.
"Mr. Black, the board is demanding an emergency meeting," she announced. "They're worried about the company's reputation."
Adrian's jaw clenched. He had known Sophie would retaliate, but he hadn't expected her to escalate so quickly.
"Tell them I'll address the situation at the meeting this afternoon," Adrian said.
"And the reporters?" Susan asked, her voice tentative.
"No comment for now," Adrian replied curtly.
As Susan left, Adrian leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. He picked up his phone and called Martin, the private investigator he had hired to dig into Sophie's activities.
"She's gone public," Adrian said without preamble. "I need everything you've got on her. Now."
"I was just about to call you," Martin replied. "Sophie's not just playing dirty—she's sloppy. I've found a few things that could discredit her. I'll send you the files tonight."
"Good," Adrian said, his tone icy. "She won't get away with this."
---
By lunchtime, Mia couldn't bear the stares and whispers any longer. She left the office, finding refuge in a quiet corner of a nearby park. The crisp winter air stung her cheeks as she sat on a bench, staring blankly at her phone.
Her screen lit up with a call from Adrian. She hesitated before answering.
"Mia, I'm so sorry," Adrian said the moment she picked up. His voice was heavy with guilt. "This is all because of Sophie. She's trying to destroy us."
"Well, it's working!" Mia snapped, her emotions boiling over. "Adrian, my face is everywhere. People think I'm a homewrecker! My career, my reputation—it's all falling apart."
"I know," Adrian said, his tone low. "And I promise I'll fix this. I'm working on it. But I need you to trust me."
"I do trust you," Mia said, her voice breaking. "But this isn't just about you anymore. I'm being dragged through the mud because of your past with Sophie. I don't know how much more of this I can take."
Adrian's silence on the other end of the line was deafening. Finally, he said, "You're right. This is my mess, and I'm going to clean it up. But Mia, please… just hold on a little longer. I'll fix this. For us."
---
That evening, Adrian met with Martin in person to review the evidence against Sophie.
Martin placed a USB drive on the table between them. "You're not going to like this," he warned.
Adrian plugged the drive into his laptop and opened the files. His eyes scanned the documents: bank statements, email exchanges, and payment records.
"Sophie's been paying people to fabricate stories," Martin explained. "That article? Completely orchestrated. She's blackmailing and bribing anyone who can help her build her narrative."
Adrian's fists clenched. "Is there enough here to expose her?"
"Not yet," Martin admitted. "But this is a start. If we keep digging, we'll find more. Sophie's not as untouchable as she thinks."
Adrian nodded, his jaw set in determination. "Keep digging. I want everything."
---
Later that night, Adrian and Mia reviewed the files together in his penthouse.
"This is our chance," Adrian said, his voice steady. "If we expose Sophie for what she's done, we can turn this around."
Mia studied the documents, her anger simmering beneath the surface. "She's manipulated everyone into believing her lies. She's even weaponized your past. If we don't stop her, she'll destroy everything."
"We will stop her," Adrian assured her. "But it's going to get worse before it gets better."
Mia met his gaze, her resolve hardening. "Then let's be ready for her. Together."
Unbeknownst to them, Sophie was already planning her next move. In her lavish apartment, she poured herself a glass of wine and smirked at her laptop screen. She had leaked the initial story, but this was only the beginning.
"Let's see how long you two can hold out," she murmured, her fingers dancing over the keyboard.
With a final, decisive keystroke, she sent out another email. The subject line read: Exclusive: Mia Green's Secrets.
The game had just escalated.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein