Chapter 226 Public Opinion
As long as Sam was still present, Gabriel couldn't fully focus on Tiffany, and her dreams of marrying into the Lancaster family seemed unattainable.
She had yet to perfect her strategy against Sam and the children when another problem arose.
Suddenly, a lawyer's letter arrived at her studio. The assistant handed it over to Tiffany, who scoffed after a glance.
"Trying to challenge Tiffany's Counseling Room with some old scandal? Wishful thinking."
Then she instructed her assistant, "Don't bother with it."
"Yes," replied the assistant.
Tiffany tossed the lawyer's letter into the trash bin.
However, it wasn't long before the internet exploded with news of a tragic incident at Tiffany's Counseling Room —a girl had leaped to her death, and the story was quickly picking up steam, spiraling out of control.
The assistant rushed in, panic-stricken.
"Miss Foster, there's a crisis. Look at what's trending online." She handed over her phone.
The hot searches were all about the suicide incident at Tiffany's Counseling Room
"What's going on?" she asked in dismay.
The case had been closed—a chapter she thought they had moved on from. Was the family not willing to let things settle?
"Get PR on it immediately, pull it from the trending searches," she instructed. The IPO for Tiffany's Counseling Room was in the works, and they couldn't afford any disruptions.
Meanwhile, Alex briefed Gabriel on the situation.
"The girl who jumped? That's from last year, right?"
"Yes, this time there are a lot of sponsored posts claiming the girl was driven to her death by a therapist at Tiffany's Counseling Room They're accusing the therapist of heinous acts, like hypnotizing the girl and coercing her into a relationship," Alex explained.
Alex continued: "The girl's parents have hired new attorneys and are filing another lawsuit against Tiffany's Counseling Room."
Gabriel was aware of the case. Initially, the police were involved and after an extensive investigation, they found no fault with the therapist, and Tiffany's Counseling Room was cleared of any connection to the incident.
If there was any link at all, it was due to the girl's severe depression not improving while being treated at Tiffany's Counseling Room.
That day, the building’s security was lax, leaving the rooftop door unlocked, which unfortunately allowed the girl to access the roof and take her own life.
Gabriel had helped establish Tiffany's Counseling Room, but he was not involved in its operations, leaving Tiffany to manage the aftermath entirely.
Their initial resolution included a settlement to the girl's parents and the termination of the therapist in question, with a vow not to rehire.
Tiffany later told him that the parents accepted the compensation and considered the matter resolved.
But now, facing a resurfacing lawsuit, Gabriel furrowed his brow. "Find out what's going on."
"Sure."
Tiffany's Counseling Room quickly issued a stern response. They first posted the investigation results from a year ago, then displayed the agreement in which Mr. and Mrs. Jones accepted compensation, complete with their signatures and thumbprints.
The insinuations in the message were clear: they accused Mr. and Mrs. Jones of dredging up the past in hopes of extracting more money.
Tiffany's Instagram shared the studio's statement, adding, "I understand that times are tough for both of you, and I understand your pain, but my Counseling Room isn't your personal ATM. However, I'm willing to offer some personal assistance."
This sparked a new wave of influencers and comments all condemning the Jones’ for their insatiable greed in exploiting their daughter's death and attempting to extort Tiffany, meanwhile praising her generosity for still offering them money.
Sophia watched as the online tide turned in favor of Tiffany, a sly smile crossed her lips as she texted Caroline, [Drop the truth bomb, hit them hard.]
Caroline replied, [On it!]
In a flurry of clicks, Ethan, a master of discretion and skill, released the irrefutable evidence he and his mother had prepared, along with some additional findings he had uncovered himself.
An influencer posted:
[Wasn't he supposed to be fired? What's this? A new name, a new life? Does he think he's living in ancient times where they can just disappear under a new identity?]
Photos of work IDs and staff pictures were attached.
The online community exploded in outrage. Despite claims of dismissal, the person in question was still employed at Tiffany's Counseling Room, now masquerading under a different name and advertised as a specialist.
A social media user commented, "I have depression too, and I sought them for help. I felt something was off about them at that time, glad I stopped going."
Back in her office, Tiffany smashed two coffee mugs in frustration.
She wanted to scream at someone, but with no one around to bear the brunt of her anger, the mugs took the hit instead.
When she finally calmed down, Tiffany realized that Mrs. and Mrs. Jones had come prepared and given their resources, wouldn't have been able to sway public opinion so quickly without outside help.
Who could be targeting her? Tiffany prided herself on maintaining a good image and hadn't offended any prominent figures, especially with Gabriel's support – it was unlikely someone would provoke her unprovoked.
Could it be... Sophia?
As the narrative turned on its head, Sophia watched with satisfaction, holding her phone, reveling in how people were attacking Tiffany's Counseling Room and accusing Tiffany of just putting on a show.
Then, the rumor that Tiffany was dating the CEO of Lancaster Enterprises spread like wildfire, and the reposts just kept on rising, transforming the situation.
Netizen: [Looks like the swift suppression of the incident was the result of Lancaster's capital at work.]
Netizen: [Mr. Lancaster is so charismatic and frequently involved in charity work. Who would've thought his girlfriend would turn out to be such a lowlife?]
Netizen: [I bet Mr. Lancaster isn’t exactly an angel himself.]
Despite the positive performance that had sent Lancaster Enterprises' stock rising, it plummeted at the close of trading, going from green to red.
The shares dropped more than ten percent by the closing bell. If not for the market's slow reaction, numerous small businesses might have felt the impact too.
Harrison hustled into the executive office.
"Gabriel, what's going on? Tiffany's Counseling Room is in trouble; how did it affect the company's stock?"
"Someone is targeting Lancaster," Gabriel replied without even looking up.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
Gabriel had only just learned about it himself and suspected the scandal at Tiffany's Counseling Room was just the beginning. The real aim of the person behind the scenes was to strike a blow at Lancaster.
Lancaster was developing a new microchip and was on the cusp of a breakthrough, with continuous good news driving the stock steadily up. Such negative publicity could potentially affect the launch of the chip.
"Shadow player" Sophia relished the harsh criticism thrown at Gabriel online.
See, your most beloved is drawing fire your way.
Matches made in hell – indeed a fitting pair.
Public opinion was already brewing. Next, she needed to gather more evidence to prevent Gabriel from helping Tiffany. She intended to make sure Tiffany didn’t get out of this unscathed.
After work, Caroline hesitated while looking at Sophia, who was in a pleasant mood.
"What's up?" Sophia asked cheerily.
Caroline stammered, "I found something."
"What?"
Caroline brought out her laptop and played a video for Sophia.
Sophia's expression went from disgust to mortified, and finally, she slammed the laptop shut, her face burning with anger.
"Despicable, sleazy, bastard, scum!"
"If this gets to Mr. and Mrs. Jones, they’ll be heartbroken."
Sophia commanded, "Copy that for me first."
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