Chapter 165
Chapter 165:
“Idiot!” Marie’s voice cracked like a whip, her chest tight with fury and dread. She should have shut Phyllis down the moment she caught wind of those trending topics last night. Unfortunately, greed and overblown confidence had blinded her.
She’d convinced herself Wesley barely cared about Gabriela or would toss her aside without a second thought. But who could have guessed the entire scandal would vanish from the internet by morning? Deleted. Erased. As if it had never existed. And who else could pull strings like that except Wesley himself?
The message couldn’t have been clearer: Gabriela was under his protection. Handing the house back quietly might have kept the peace.
But no—Phyllis had to go live, grinning into the camera as if she were the victim. She was digging her own grave.
𝖯op𝘂𝗅а𝗋 s𝗍𝗼𝗋і𝗲𝘀 o𝘯
Marie snapped, pacing like a caged tiger. “Wesley had the trending topics killed overnight. He’s protecting Gabriela, and you still dare to livestream? What are you thinking? That you’re important enough for him to crush personally p>
Phyllis crossed her arms, chin tilted in defiance. “No matter how rich or powerful he is, he can’t muzzle the entire internet p>
She thought back to the flood of sympathy in her live chat as millions rallied behind her, spitting venom at Gabriela’s name. The memory curled her lips into a smug smile.
“Trending topics? Sure, he could erase those. But public opinion? That was a beast even Wesley couldn’t cage p>
“You idiot! Get back on that livestream and apologize to Gabriela! Right now!” Marie’s temper was a storm breaking loose. She couldn’t comprehend how a woman as shrewd and capable as herself had ended up with a daughter so dangerously clueless.
“If you don’t do as I say,” she shouted, her voice cutting through the air, “then pack your things tonight and get the hell out of here! Go live in that pathetic shoebox your poor husband calls home p>
Phyllis, spoiled from birth and unaccustomed to such brutal words, slammed her phone down.
From across the room, Vivian’s amused laugh floated over. “Let me guess, your mother’s asking you to let Gabriela off the hook p>
Phyllis scowled, arms crossed, though a flicker of unease passed through her eyes. “She’s scared Wesley will take Gabriela’s side p>
Vivian waved off the concern with a lazy smirk. “Please. You know exactly what kind of man Wesley is. If he really gave a damn, he’d have done more than just scrub the trending topics last night p>
By the window, Gem lounged with feline grace, admiring her freshly painted nails. She didn’t even look up as she chimed in in a silky, dismissive tone. “Wesley lives in a world none of us will ever touch. Gabriela’s just a pretty distraction to him, nothing more. Wiping those trending topics? That was a casual flick of his wrist. You really think he’s in love with her p>
In just six months, Gem had climbed from a few hundred followers to this million followers, riding a wave of influence powered by a benefactor whose reach was every bit as dangerous as it was powerful.
“And look at Claire! She’s the one who actually lit the match for those trending topics,” Gem said, still admiring the glossy curve of her nails. “If Wesley were truly out for blood over some woman, Claire would’ve been exiled from the entertainment industry before sunrise p>
Phyllis felt some of the tightness in her chest ease at Gem’s calm, cutting logic. Exactly. Why would a man like Wesley waste his energy protecting Gabriela for long?
And Phyllis had already planted the seed that Gabriela was still hung up on Dustin. If Wesley had even an ounce of pride as a man, the idea would fester. Surely by now, Gabriela was halfway out the door of the Moss Manor, if not already thrown to the curb.
The more she thought about it, the more certain Phyllis became.
The internet was in a frenzy today, a perfect storm of scandal. Gabriela’s name had shot to the top of the trending list like a flare in the night.
Those in the know spat her name like a curse, while curious strangers, lured in by the sudden buzz, looked her up only to join the chorus of mockery and contempt.
Then came the twist. A minor influencer, known online as Little Bell, dropped a video. It was Farley’s account of what had really happened.
In the video, he didn’t waste a second on pleasantries. His voice was steady, but there was a hard edge beneath it.