Chapter 661
“It’s genuinely a tough spot. If it were anyone else, a little cash would make it go away, but this is Mira Mercer we’re talking about—your worst enemy.
For all we know, she launched this entire crackdown specifically targeting your sister. Luna might even be the mastermind behind the whole attack.
If the other students crack under the pressure and throw your sister under the bus, this will escalate into a complete nightmare p>
Jude called his lawyer over to help Lawrence break down the situation.
“The defamation period was short, meaning Mira hasn’t suffered any catastrophic damages.
My best guess is they’ll hit her with a brief detention and demand a hefty payout for emotional distress.
Out in the real world, that kind of penalty is basically a slap on the wrist.
But for a university student, it’s a massive stain that will torpedo their future career prospects.
And for a wealthy socialite like your sister, it’s an utter humiliation. The physical damage is minimal, but the social destruction is absolute.
However, at this point, our hands are tied p>
“The most urgent priority is damage control. You need to strip your sister of the ‘mastermind’ label immediately.
Use whatever means necessary-threats, bribes, it doesn’t matter. Secure the loyalty of those paid agitators and make absolutely sure they don’t flip on her.
If you can manage that, I doubt the university will go as far as expelling her p>
Lawrence nodded and dialed Luna again. Before he could even say a word, she burst into hysterical sobs. “Lawrence, you have to help me right now! They’re taking me away! They’re taking me away p>
“Who’s taking you away p>
“The police! Wah p>
As Lawrence froze in shock, Jude quickly chimed in.
“Since things have escalated, tell your sister to stop throwing a tantrum and maintain her dignity.
Tell her you have a plan to get her out p>
Lawrence repeated the instructions verbatim. After hanging up, he turned to Jude. “Do you actually have a way to get her out p>
“No. But if you didn’t say that, your idiotic sister would have kept screaming and probably made things ten times worse, adding more charges to her rap sheet p>
“So what’s our next move p>
“Find someone to open a line of communication with Mira. See if she’s willing to negotiate an exchange of terms p>
Jude suggested.
“But if we try to negotiate, Mira is going to demand a king’s ransom.
Since the criminal charges aren’t that severe, we might be better off just letting it run its course p>
Lawrence replied.
“If you do that, your sister will hate you forever for abandoning her, and your parents will condemn you for being cold-blooded p>
Idiot.
“I highly suggest you loop your parents in immediately and make it perfectly clear how helpless you are in this situation.
That way, you dump the problem right in their laps while still looking like you fulfilled your duties
older sibling. It’s a win-win ent
.net>
“Good point. Even with family, you have to play the politics right p>
Mira stayed at home that night, completely transparent as she recounted the day’s campus drama to Eleanor and Rachel.
She needed to vent to her family, and the two older women loved hearing about her life out in the world.
When you’re family, keeping everything bottled up only creates distance.
“You did the right thing. Bringing them to justice will ensure no one ever dares to recklessly slander others again p>
Rachel said approvingly.
“Where was your cousin? And your Aunt Gwen? Didn’t they lift a finger to help you p>
Eleanor was fiercely protective of Mira.
“Grandma, they wouldn’t have been able to help with an internet scandal anyway. Please don’t hold it against them p>
With her grandmother getting older, Mira didn’t want to cause her any unnecessary stress.
“They should have at least publicly stated their support.
Especially your aunt—she’s a respected professor, her words carry weight p>
“Grandma, just trust that I can handle this myself. As for everyone else, let’s not force anything p>
Hearing this, the sharp old woman understood immediately.
“Alright. When people treat you well, you can return the favor when you have the power to do so.
But if they turn their backs on you, there’s no reason to waste your energy on them. I won’t nag you about it anymore p>
“Grandma, our company just landed a huge new project that’s going to pull in a ton of money p>
Having wrapped up the depressing topics, Mira quickly pivoted to some good news to cheer the old lady up.
“Wonderful! My granddaughter is so capable. Grandma’s going to be relying on you from now on p>
Mira knew her grandmother’s mood would instantly brighten at the mention of making money.
Later, as Mira lay in bed, Owen called her again.
“The old man wants to offer you two percent of Lance Construction in exchange for dropping the charges against Luna p>
“How much is two percent of Lance Construction even worth p>
“The construction firm holds a significant amount of real estate and is currently valued at eight billion. Two percent translates to about a hundred and sixty million dollars p>
“Your old man is throwing around some serious cash. It seems Luna holds a decent amount of weight in his heart. Honestly, you’re making me tempted p>
Just to save Luna from fifteen days in detention, the old patriarch was willing to
bleed this much?