"Dad, I lost all my face today—so humiliating! I'm not going to be a cleaner. If you make me do that, I'd rather die. And when Mom hears how they treated me, she'll be furious." "Are you finished?" Scott shot back, his voice sharp. "Chloe set you up, but you walked right into it. If you hadn't caused so much trouble and hurt people, what could she possibly do to you? You never look at yourself—always blaming everyone else. You want into the company—do you even know what Lewis Group does? Do you know how the business is doing?" "I..." Carolyn choked, unable to answer. She really had no idea. In her mind, senior executives just sat around waiting for reports. Why bother knowing all the details? She stared at Scott, stunned that he would scold her like this over a few words. It was the first time he had ever yelled at her."Dad..." she said softly, a fear creeping into her stomach. For a moment, she truly thought he might hit her—and not lightly. "If you actually wanna stick around at Lewis Group and help carry some of the load, start from the very bottom. Being a cleaner ain't even off the table. We've spoiled you all these years, and you've turned out selfish and sharp-tongued. Use this to learn some humility. Sand off those edges." Scott leaned back and closed his eyes. "If you take the job, take it seriously. Even cleaning requires responsibility. If you won't go, then stay home. Just don't show up at Lewis Group and embarrass me again." Carolyn was speechless. Was he really telling her to become a cleaner? She was Carolyn Lewis—the heiress of the family. To become a cleaner? It was a joke. She wanted to argue, but Scott had already shut his eyes. His expression made it clear the conversation was over. All she could do was slump back in her seat, boiling with anger.A cleaner! This had to be Chloe's doing. That witch—this wasn't over. ***** "Breaking News: Heartthrob Ties the Knot; Chloe Left Out and Begging for Him Back!" Early this morning, a gossip forum dropped a "passerby" photo. It was clear—taken inside a restaurant, with roses and a cake on the table. In the shot, Chloe was reaching for Arthur's hand, and the whole scene looked like she was pleading with him. Pleading for what? Earlier rumors had painted Chloe as the other woman in Arthur's life. But then Myers Group officially announced his engagement—not to Chloe, but to the pianist Jennifer. Word was, Chloe and Jennifer both had kids over five years old, which made Chloe's position look even more awkward. That one photo, paired with that bold headline, hit hard.As soon as it went live, the internet exploded. Fans who had supported Chloe refused to believe it. Chloe was amazing. Why would she do this? She didn't need to! Sure, Arthur was a catch, but so was Chloe. She didn't need to beg some soon-to-be-married man. Was the cake a peace offering? Was she begging him to stay? And the roses? Roses were supposed to come from the man. A woman setting them up herself? People called it cheap. Chloe's supporters pushed back, but the haters came harder—slinging nastier words, calling her shameless, a homewrecker who knew he was taken. The smear campaign spread fast, shooting straight to the top of the trending list. Chloe's name was back in the spotlight. The old "other woman" story got dug up again. The public turned vicious, and Cosmos Group got dragged down with her. Their stock opened lower and, under all the bad press, looked ready to keep falling. "If the price keeps dropping and we don't control the story, we could hit limit down. Then the shareholders will go crazy," Landon said, placing a report in front of Eugene with a serious look. "If this continues, your parents will definitely hear about it." At the mention of his parents, Eugene glanced up. His face showed no emotion. After a moment, he replied calmly, "You think a little mess like this can shake my resolve?" Landon raised an eyebrow. There he went again—acting all high and mighty. His feelings for Chloe... it was like he wanted the whole world to know. "So you're not going to handle it?" Landon chuckled. "With a story like this, one move from you could wipe it off the internet in minutes." A man like Eugene didn't even need to lift a finger. One word, and it was done.