Chapter 8

Elite Lux's aircraft soared into the sky an hour later,leaving the familiar landscapes of the country far below.

Daniela remained seated quietly in the opulent cabin,her eyes cast downward in contemplation.

By now, she surmised that the headlines and buzz in Olisvine were likely ablaze with the leaked audio and the footage of the fire.

She had delivered the response Alexander had been pressing for.

From that point forward, their connection was severed -no obligations, no bonds, absolutely nothing lingered between them.

Meanwhile,back at the headquarters of Phillips Group,the oppressive silence in the boardroom shattered with an unexpected knock.

The executives whipped their heads around, eyes wide with disbelief at the boldness of the secretary daring to disturb the solemnity.

After all, the memory was still fresh of the previous secretary who had interrupted Cedric Phillips' meeting,now enduring a bleak reassignment in Antarctica.

While the executives silently sent their condolences to the unfortunate soul, the secretary confidently closed the distance to the stoic Cedric and whispered something.

"Really?" A flicker of relief passed over Cedric's usually rigid expression, a rare smile breaking through.

The room of executives fell into stunned silence,unable to utter a single word.

With a firm nod, the secretary confirmed,"Yes, Mr.Phillips. They've completed the divorce proceedings."

A ripple of curiosity surged through the room, stirring the appetites of the executives who thrived on company gossip.

Divorce? Who got divorced? What in the world was happening?

Cedric abruptly stood and declared, "That concludes today's meeting. Kevin, arrange the next flight out to Elite Lux for me."

The room fell silent, shock etching the faces of the executives.

After Cedric left, an executive, driven by a blend of confusion and curiosity, reached out and grasped Kevin's arm. "This is unprecedented! A five-minute meeting? Where is Mr. Phillips off to so urgently?"

With a sly grin, Kevin responded, "If everything goes as planned, Mr. Phillips will be walking down the aisle in no time."

His words hung in the air, leaving a trail of astonishment among the listeners.

"Yes,I love Alexander!"

"I was behind that fire! I instructed someone to douse the place with gasoline, and I was the one who set it ablaze. I intended to ruin your wedding to Alexander!"

"So what if you're Dad's biological daughter? Anything you own, I'll snatch it away!"

"Daniela, does it even matter that you're Dad's biological child? Look at yourself, kneelng before me.And what good will your cloud surveillance footage do,Daniela? No one's going to believe you anyway!"6

"Your wedding is just the start. By the time I'm done,your whole life will be in shambles!"

Suddenly, the hashtag #TruthOfTheBridelnFire skyrocketed to prominence on social media. Audio clips mingled with visuals of a blazing inferno circulated rapidly across various platforms.

Joyce was in the midst of a high-stakes executive meeting between Bennett Group and Harper Group when the controversial video caught her eye.

In a flurry of panic, she inadvertently pressed the play button, and instantly, her harsh and biting voice echoed through the conference room.

Upon realizing her blunder, she looked up to see over a hundred executives from both corporations fixed on her, their faces etched with loaded glares.

Joyce's cheeks flushed a deep scarlet as she frantically waved her hands, exclaiming, "That wasn't my voice! This is slander! It's a setup by Daniela to destroy my reputation.You see now-how malevolent she is! I'm contacting the police immediately!"

Half an hour later, an in-depth professional analysis of the video and audio surfaced online. The findings confirmed that the audio and surveillance footage were indeed genuine, with no signs of alteration or manipulation.

This disclosure struck Joyce like a brutal reprimand.

At last, Alexander grasped the true implications of Daniela's earlier statement-people should pay the price for their mistakes. But the fallout was merciless-Joyce facedan online storm of hatred, her name dragged through the mud

"Unbelievable! I've never seen such audacity from a stepdaughter!"

"The audacity to make the real daughter kneel? I can't decide if it's cruel or just plain ridiculous."

"And really, what gave Joyce the nerve to start a fire at her stepsister's wedding? So Daniela was the bride caught in the fire? All that slander, all those accusations, and now it's clear she did nothing wrong.How embarrassing for them."

"It's truly sad. After her mother's passing, Daniela has lost her father too. And let's be honest, would Joyce have dared such boldness if Caiden hadn't spoiled her?"

"Don't forget Alexander! His own wife was unjustly blamed, yet he sided with the one who lit the fire.What's happening between Joyce and Alexander,anyway?"

"Despicable man!"

As the torrent of online vitriol continued, someone abruptly shared an image.

Displayed was the divorce certificate of Alexander and Daniela.Underneath the photo, the consensus in the comments was clear. "Justice is served!"

Alexander perused the trending topics on his smartphone, his expression turning thunderous.

With a forceful thud, he hurled the phone onto the table and barked at his secretary, "What is the PR team even up to? Why wasn't I alerted before this scandal broke? These headlines have just splashed across the globe, and no one intervened?"

The secretary, with a lowered gaze, responded tentatively, "Mr. Bennett, these topics surged unexpectedly. Our team is actively addressing it.It appears hackers instigated this, and we've yet to neutralize it. The tech team is on it, and we anticipate a resolution shortly."

Alexander scoffed bitterly. It would be resolved shortly? Not instantly, not immediately,but shortly?By that time, the whole nation had witnessed it.

"Daniela, you've truly cornered me this time," he sneered under his breath, his anger barely contained.

Since she dared to cross the line like this, forgiveness would be a luxury she'd never see from him.

As for rejoining the Bennett family? She'd better forget it-that door was slammed shut for good.

His rage simmered to a boil.

He positioned himself by the panoramic window, his stare icy and piercing. His brows knit tightly together,his whole presence exuding a forbidding, frosty aura.

He was on the verge of telling his secretary to call Daniela when his phone buzzed insistently in his pocket.

It was his father.

With a sense of foreboding, Alexander answered the call, only to be greeted by a barrage of anger."Alexander! Has Daniela gone absolutely insane?Everyone is badgering me about whether you've dumped Daniela to fool around with her stepsister!Where the hell is Daniela? I don't give a damn what you have to do-get those damn posts deleted now!"

Alexander's voice remained composed. "I understand."

His father, Richard Bennett, was far from pacified."Tell Daniela she's out of her goddamn mind if she thinks I'll ever forgive her for this!"

The call terminated with an abrupt click, leaving a heavier frown on Alexander's face.

Now Daniela had truly incited Richard's wrath. It seemed she was courting disaster.

Alexander resolved then and there that she was on her own. No more would he be her protector-not now,not ever. 12

Today,Daniela had truly stirred up a storm

Alexander attempted to call her, but it went to voice mail.

Anger surged within him

What bullshit game was Daniela playing this time?

He thought to send her a message, only to realize he had been blocked.

As he contemplated his next move, his phone rang once more. It was none other than Caiden.

"Alexander! What the hell is wrong with Daniela?Joyce is at home sobbing like crazy now!"