Chapter 684

Nathan Blackwood stared at his phone screen, his lips curling into a bitter smirk. His knuckles turned white from gripping the device too tightly. The flood of private messages and vicious comments showed no sign of stopping. With mainstream media outlets censoring the backlash, netizens had turned to social media to unleash their fury on him.

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Every single comment felt like a personal attack. "Who the hell is Julian Moreau? How dare they compare me to some pretty-boy actor?" Nathan's jaw clenched. "And they think Evelyn Sinclair and I aren't compatible? Are they blind?" Out of thousands of comments, only a handful defended him. Furious, he slammed his phone onto the marble countertop.

The silence lasted exactly thirty seconds before he snatched the phone back up like a man possessed. He scrolled through the hateful comments with masochistic determination.

Then his fingers flew across the screen in rapid response: [Money talks, darling. That idol can't compete with my net worth.] [Evelyn's mine - your opinions are irrelevant.] [Name one person more worthy than me. Just one!] [Save your pity for someone who needs it.]

The internet exploded. Just as the scandal was dying down, Nathan's clapbacks reignited the firestorm. #NathanBlackwoodFightsBack trended worldwide within minutes. The billionaire saw nothing wrong with his behavior - wealth was his ultimate trump card, an indisputable advantage.

While most people spent New Year's Eve watching fireworks, half the internet was glued to Nathan's real-time feud with random commenters. The elusive CEO of Blackwood Industries actually engaging with trolls? Unheard of! The public had always viewed him as an untouchable corporate titan.

Yet despite his abrasive tone, people found his unfiltered responses oddly endearing. Nathan kept arguing, determined to prove through sheer financial dominance that he was Evelyn's perfect match.

At Sterling Manor, Evelyn struggled to stay awake, nursing her third espresso of the night. The adjoining hall buzzed with activity as guests played cards and laughed boisterously.

Natalie Beaumont rushed over, shoving her phone in Evelyn's face. "Sleep? Now?"

Evelyn rubbed her temples. "What now?"

"Look!" Natalie thrust the screen closer. The trending hashtag jolted Evelyn awake more effectively than any caffeine.

Her face drained of color. "Has he lost his damn mind?"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "What do you think? Public opinion was already against you two, but now he's playing the relatable billionaire card. People are actually shipping you now! Some are even giving him dating advice!"

Evelyn's lips pressed into a thin line. "They should worry about their own lives instead of some capitalist's love life."

"Should we intervene?" Natalie suggested.

Evelyn paused. "Who dares control Nathan Blackwood? Forget it."

"You're just going to let this continue?"

Evelyn pulled out her own phone. "I'm checking what new products we can launch. Might as well capitalize on this free publicity."

Natalie gaped. The woman truly had dollar signs for eyeballs! Once Evelyn finalized tomorrow's product launch strategy, she relaxed slightly.

No matter how viral tonight's drama became, tomorrow's business announcements would dominate the headlines. She stretched and glanced around.

"Where's Oliver?"