136 A Calculated Response

"Alexander, wait!"

Evelyn's voice cut through the hallway, laced with a sudden, sharp anxiety.

He stopped. Turned. His expression was a carefully constructed mask of calm, but the storm in his eyes was unmistakable. "Yes, Evelyn?" His voice was soft, a stark contrast to the tension coiling in the air around him.

She bit her lower lip, her mind racing. His entire presence radiated a controlled fury, a silent tempest that made her heart pound. She wanted to reach out, to bridge this sudden, frightening distance. But the words stuck in her throat, choked by her own uncertainty. "It's nothing. Just... please don't work too late. Get some rest."

"Of course," Alexander replied, his lips forming a tight, thin line. A clear sign of the battle raging within.

She watched his retreating figure until he vanished around the corner. A profound sense of loss washed over her, heavy and cold. So much was left unsaid.

Alexander, consumed by his own dark thoughts, was blind to her distress. His mind was a vortex of self-recrimination.

If he had acted more decisively against the Blackwoods, Evelyn would never have been hurt.

But the charade had to continue. All he could do was watch from the shadows, powerless.

He retreated to his study, burying himself in contracts and reports, a futile attempt to smother the guilt festering in his chest.

The silence was shattered by his subordinate bursting through the door, face pale. "Mr. Blackwood! We have a situation."

Alexander's head snapped up, his frown deepening. "Report."

"The media... we issued strict warnings, sir. But they've published a story about you and Mrs. Blackwood anyway."

Alexander's face darkened instantly. He leaned forward, his gaze sharp enough to cut glass. "Explain this failure. I was explicit."

The subordinate trembled under the icy stare. "We were thorough, sir. But Patricia Blackwood... she was relentless. She hired a gutter journalist from a scandal rag."

He quickly pulled out his phone, pulled up the offending article, and handed it over.

The headline screamed from the screen.

"SHOCKING BETRAYAL: The Truth Behind Julian Blackwood's Incarceration! Evelyn Brooks, his devoted fiancée, revealed as a master manipulator. On their wedding day, she not only committed adultery but immediately married another man. Together, they orchestrated a fake kidnapping to extort millions from the wealthy Blackwood family. When their demands were refused, they vengefully ensured Julian was imprisoned."

The article was a web of vicious lies, completely devoid of evidence.

But the court of public opinion required no proof. The comments section was a feeding frenzy.

"How can someone be so heartless?"

"Is this related to that kidnapping case from last month?"

"That poor Julian! His life is ruined because of this witch."

"Evelyn is pure evil. Shameless."

"She cheated on him? What a pathetic creature."

Alexander scrolled through the venomous comments, his jaw tightening with each one. Many were ignorant followers, but he could easily spot the paid trolls sprinkled throughout.

A cold, mirthless laugh escaped him.

Seeing his reaction, the subordinate immediately lowered his head, the air growing thick with dread. In all his years of service, he had never seen Alexander this enraged.

The Blackwood family's fate was sealed. Any lingering hope for them was now extinguished.

Alexander was furious.

After a tense moment, the subordinate ventured, "Mr. Blackwood, should I have the article taken down immediately?"

"Wait," Alexander commanded, taking a deep, composing breath. "Removing it now would be an admission of guilt. It would make Evelyn look exactly as they've painted her. Every denial would only add fuel to the fire."

"Then what is your order, sir?" the subordinate asked, desperate for direction.