Capítulo 316: Never backing out
Vince's assistant returned, handing him a thick folder. "Here's everything we could find on the situation, sir."
Vince flipped through the pages, his eyes narrowing as he absorbed the information. "Allegations started a few months ago, huh?" he muttered.
He leaned back, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Harvey's always been a slippery bastard. Back in the 2000s, he brushed off accusations like they were nothing."
A dry chuckle escaped his lips. "But now... now he's struggling. And he's pointing the finger at Lucas of all people. Interesting."
Vince stood up, pacing his office. "That boy's got to be involved somehow. He's not as squeaky clean as he pretends to be."
He paused, a calculating gleam in his eye. "You know what? This might be just the leverage I need. If Lucas is really mixed up in this mess, he might need dear old dad to bail him out."
Vince grinned, already plotting his next move. "Get me a meeting with our PR team. We're going to play this very carefully."
As his assistant hurried out, Vince turned back to the window, looking out over the Hollywood skyline. "Well, son," he murmured, "looks like you've finally done something useful. Time to see how this plays out."
The wheels in Vince's head were turning, seeing not a family crisis, but an opportunity to regain control over his estranged son and boost his own position in the process.
***
Lucas paced his living room, phone pressed to his ear. "Come on, Sarah, pick up," he muttered.
After several rings, it went to voicemail. Lucas sighed, ending the call.
"No luck?" Jennifer asked from the couch.
Lucas shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Nothing. She's not answering."
He flopped down next to Jennifer, his mind racing. "If Sarah's backed out, I..." he trailed off, then took a deep breath. "Well, I can't really blame her. This thing with Harvey, it's getting intense."
Jennifer placed a hand on his knee. "What are you going to do?"
Lucas leaned back, his expression calm despite the storm brewing around him. "Not much I can do, really. If Sarah's decided it's too risky, that's her call. I can't force her to keep fighting."
He turned to Jennifer, a wry smile on his face. "Guess we'll just have to weather this storm and see where it takes us."
"You're taking this pretty well," Jennifer observed, a hint of surprise in her voice.
Lucas shrugged. "Getting angry won't change anything. We'll figure it out, one way or another."
---
Meanwhile, the situation escalated dramatically. Harvey's legal team announced they were not only pursuing defamation charges against Lucas for allegedly orchestrating false accusations, but also investigating Lucas's charity work.
Harvey's spokesperson released a statement: "Mr. Knight's supposed philanthropy is nothing but a smokescreen. We have reason to believe his charities are funneling money into less-than-legal activities. It's time the public sees who Lucas Knight really is."
Social media erupted:
"Harvey's just trying to save his own skin. #LucasIsInnocent"
One replied: "But what if there's truth to Harvey's claims? Lucas's charity work has always seemed too good to be true..."
Despite the backlash against Harvey, some news channels gave credence to his accusations. Fox News ran a segment titled "Lucas Knight: Hollywood's Golden Boy or Master Manipulator?" while TMZ promised an "exclusive expose" on Lucas's alleged misdeeds.
CNN reported: "We've reached out to Mr. Knight's representatives for comment. So far, they've remained silent on these new allegations."
In living rooms across America, people were glued to their screens:
"Can you believe this crap?" Tom exclaimed, gesturing at the TV. "Harvey's just throwing mud and hoping something sticks."
His wife nodded. "I don't know, honey. Lucas always seemed too perfect..."
Their teenage daughter rolled her eyes. "You're both being played. It's obviously just a distraction from Harvey's own mess."
As the debate raged on in homes and online, the Hollywood scandal of the year was just beginning to unfold.
***
In his lavish office, Harvey lounged in his leather chair, swirling a glass of expensive scotch. A smug smile played on his lips as he watched the news coverage.
"Look at that, Bob," Harvey chuckled, gesturing to the TV. "Golden boy Lucas isn't so shiny anymore, is he? I'll teach that little prick to mess with me."
Bob Weinstein shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Harvey, maybe we shouldn't have dragged Lucas into this. He's just a kid, and we don't really have anything solid on him."
Harvey's face darkened. "Shut up, Bob. You don't get it. This isn't about truth. It's about power. Lucas thought he could play in the big leagues? Well, now he's learning what that really means."
Bob looked at his brother, disgust and pity warring in his expression. He barely recognized the man Harvey had become - talented, sure, but also cruel and reckless.
"Whatever you say, Harvey," Bob sighed, deciding it wasn't worth pushing further. Harvey's temper had been on a hair-trigger lately, and his decision-making was becoming increasingly erratic.
As Harvey continued to rant about Lucas, Bob tuned him out, wondering how things had gotten so out of hand.
***
Jennifer peeked through the curtains, her eyes widening at the growing crowd outside her gate. "Shit," she muttered, turning to Lucas. "Looks like the vultures have arrived."
Lucas joined her at the window, careful to stay out of sight. "They don't know I'm here, right?"
Jennifer shook her head. "No, but they're trying to get me to comment on the whole mess."
A knock at the door made them both jump. Jennifer's assistant, poked her head in. "Ms. Lawrence? There's a whole bunch of reporters outside. They're asking for a statement."
Jennifer sighed. "Tell them no comment. And make sure security keeps them off the property."
Outside, they could hear the reporters' voices rising as they continued their live broadcasts.
"...and while Jennifer Lawrence has yet to comment on her boyfriend's alleged involvement..."
Jennifer snorted. "This is insane. They're using my house as a backdrop for their reports now."
Lucas muted the TV, unable to listen anymore. "Maybe I should leave. I don't want to cause you any more trouble."
Jennifer grabbed his hand. "Don't you dare."
Lucas shook his head, gently pulling his hand away from Jennifer's. "No, I really should go. I've got a plan."
He moved to the bathroom, rummaging through his bag. "Just need to work a little magic..."
Jennifer watched, curious and concerned, as Lucas applied makeup and donned a wig. Within minutes, he looked like a completely different person.
"Wow," Jennifer said, impressed despite her worry. "You're getting scary good at that."
Lucas managed a small smile. "Comes in handy more often than you'd think."
He glanced at his phone, seeing the missed calls and texts piling up. With a sigh, he shoved it in his pocket, deciding to deal with it later.
"Alright, I'm heading out," he said, giving Jennifer a quick hug. "I'll call you when I'm somewhere safe."
Jennifer nodded, still uneasy but understanding. "Be careful, okay?"
Lucas slipped out the back door, hunching his shoulders and adopting a different walk. As he passed by the reporters at the front gate, none of them gave him a second glance. One even called out, "Hey, buddy, any chance you could get Ms. Lawrence to come out for a statement?"
Lucas just shook his head, mumbling something about being late for errands. The reporters turned back to their cameras, completely oblivious to who had just walked past them.
As Lucas walked down the street, his mind raced with thoughts about the situation. Despite the gravity of Harvey's accusations, he felt a sense of confidence.
"Harvey's really grasping at straws," he muttered to himself. "Going after my charity? That's just desperate."
He knew his LK Charity was bulletproof. Lucas had always insisted on complete transparency, and most of the funding came from his own pocket or from a select group of investors in his company. They hadn't even advertised much, preferring to keep operations low-key and efficient.
"Even if someone wanted to corrupt it, they couldn't," Lucas thought. "I've got my hands in every aspect of it."
He remembered the last call with his charity's CEO. "We've got nothing to hide," she had assured him. "Every penny is accounted for."
As he waited at a crosswalk, a passerby's conversation caught his ear.
"Did you hear about that Lucas Knight guy? Apparently, he's not as clean as everyone thought."
Lucas suppressed a snort. If only they knew.
He pulled his cap lower, continuing on his way. Harvey could throw whatever he wanted at him. Lucas knew the truth, and he was ready to fight.
"Damn," he muttered under his breath. 'Those women are backing out one by one. Can't really blame them, though. Harvey's got a lot of pull in this town.'
He thought about the actresses and models who had initially come forward, now retreating into silence. The pressure must be immense.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. Bob Weinstein, Harvey's brother. Lucas remembered from his previous life that Bob had always been uncomfortable with Harvey's behavior, but had remained silent.
He recalled snippets of information about Bob - always in Harvey's shadow, less influential, but not entirely powerless.
'Maybe Bob's afraid of the fallout,' Lucas reasoned. 'Harvey's got connections everywhere. If Bob speaks out, he might lose everything too.'
Lucas stopped at a coffee shop, ordering a drink to go. As he waited, he continued his train of thought.
'But what if Bob had support? What if he knew he wouldn't be alone in speaking out?'
A plan began to form in Lucas's mind. If he could somehow reach out to Bob, offer him support, maybe he could convince him to come forward.
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