Chapter 457

The sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Evelyn Vanderbilt's office, casting a golden glow over the sleek modern furniture.

"Chloe, a soldier who values money as much as her own life, would actually say she doesn’t want a salary?"

Gregory Fannon approached, holding a tablet. "Zoe, Mr. Lucas Laurent’s endorsement video has been released."

Evelyn’s lips curved into a knowing smile, her sharp gaze glinting with satisfaction. "Perfect. Now we wait for Iris to humiliate herself."

#Soul’s Spokesperson: Lucas Laurent#

#Iris Linwood No-Show: Exposed as a Fraud#

The moment Soul Jewelry’s official accounts dropped Lucas’ endorsement video across all social media platforms, the internet erupted. Netizens were stunned—if Soul could secure someone as prestigious as the "Prince of Violin," then rejecting Iris Linwood spoke volumes.

Comments flooded in:

Grace Green: "I knew it! Iris was never on their level."

Scarlett Fox: "Soul just ended her career with one post."

Simon Blake: "Imagine thinking you’re too good for Soul and then getting replaced by Lucas freaking Laurent."

But Iris’ die-hard fans weren’t ready to surrender. They dug up an old clip of Evelyn mentioning Iris’ lack of worth, trying to spin it as bullying.

Their efforts backfired—spectacularly.

Soul Jewelry retaliated by releasing the signed contract, the original shooting schedule, and a detailed statement exposing Iris’ unprofessionalism. She had ghosted them without notice, leaving the entire team waiting for hours.

Her assistant had lied, claiming a conflicting variety show schedule—but Iris had already confirmed the shoot date.

Then came the knockout punch.

A leaked video surfaced, showing Iris lounging at a luxury hotel pool on the very day she was supposed to be filming.

The internet exploded.

Veronica Styles: "She really thought she could get away with this?"

Bianca Chase: "Bye, fraud. Enjoy the blacklist."

Iris’ phone buzzed relentlessly with notifications. She snatched it up, her face paling as she scrolled through the trending tags.

Her hands trembled.

Then she hurled the phone across the room.

"How the hell did this happen?!"

Her assistant flinched, picking up the cracked device. The screen displayed Soul’s damning post.

Before she could speak, Iris grabbed her shoulders, shaking her violently. "Fix this! Now!"

"Iris, you need to calm down—"

"Calm down?! I’m calling my uncle!"

She dialed frantically, convinced he could erase the scandal.

"He’ll make this disappear. He always does."

The call connected. "Uncle, I need—"

"I didn’t push you into this industry so you could embarrass me!" His voice was ice. "Do you even know who owns Soul Jewelry? Mrs. Goldmann. And you thought you could mess with them?"

Iris froze.

Mrs. Goldmann?

The name sent a chill down her spine.

"But—but it’s just a new jewelry brand!"

"New?" He scoffed. "You’re on your own."

The line went dead.

Iris collapsed onto the couch, her mind racing.

Then her manager called.

She answered numbly. "Mr. Yankov…?"

"Do you have any idea what you’ve done?" His voice was a whip. "Years of work, destroyed in one day. You got cocky, and now the entire jewelry industry has blacklisted you."

Her breath hitched. "What?"

"Taylor, Viana, Luxe—they’ve all issued statements banning you from endorsements. Your career is over."

The phone slipped from her fingers.

It was too late.

No one would protect her now.

At ckgold...

Nathan Goldmann scrolled through the viral posts flooding every social media platform, his lips curling into a subtle smirk.

The glow of multiple screens reflected in his piercing blue eyes as he leaned back in his leather chair.

A quiet chuckle escaped him. "So she's figured it out after all."

His fingers tapped rhythmically against the polished mahogany desk, the rhythmic sound echoing through the spacious office.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights twinkled like scattered diamonds against the night sky.

Nathan's gaze lingered on one particular trending hashtag - #VianaJewelryScandal - where thousands of comments were pouring in by the minute.

He zoomed in on a blurry surveillance photo showing Evelyn Vanderbilt's determined expression as she confronted the counterfeiters.

"Impressive as always, Zee," he murmured to himself, a hint of admiration coloring his tone.

The notification ping of an incoming email interrupted his thoughts. The subject line read: "Emergency Board Meeting Request - RE: Recent Events."

Nathan's smirk widened as he imagined the chaos unfolding at Viana Jewelry's headquarters.

He reached for his phone and dialed a familiar number. "Oliver? Cancel all my afternoon appointments. It seems I have some damage control to attend to."

As he ended the call, his eyes flicked back to Evelyn's photo on screen.

This game between them was far from over.