"Samuel Mitchell, no wicked deeds ever go unpunished!"

Elise ended the call abruptly, refusing to waste another moment on Samuel's pathetic excuses.

His hands trembled as he held Amanda's phone, rage boiling beneath his skin.

He wouldn't let Elise get away with this humiliation, not after everything she'd done to him.

But first, he needed to contain the media storm before more damaging stories surfaced.

Even without reading the articles, he knew exactly how brutal they would be.

Facing the press directly would only fuel the fire, making the situation infinitely worse.

His only option was to lay low and wait for public attention to shift elsewhere.

But if the scandal refused to die down...

Samuel's eyes narrowed dangerously.

He would have to create an even bigger headline to bury this mess.

Meanwhile, Sophia locked herself in her office after the disastrous press conference, tears streaming down her face.

Never in her life had she experienced such public humiliation, broadcast for the entire nation to witness.

She couldn't bear to check the news, knowing the cruel headlines would shatter what remained of her composure.

The door swung open suddenly, and she snapped, "I told you not to disturb me—"

She looked up, expecting to see her secretary, but instead found Victoria Scott and Margaret Scott entering her office.

With her tear-streaked face and trembling lips, Sophia appeared utterly broken and vulnerable.

Seeing her allies, she burst into fresh sobs, rushing from her chair to throw herself into Margaret's arms.

"Grandmother, I'm so sorry... I've disgraced our family. I never thought my own sister would betray our bond like this, humiliating me and our family name..."

Since childhood, Sophia had always been Margaret's favorite, mastering the art of manipulating her affections.

Margaret never cared for fairness or principles, always siding with whoever flattered her most, and fiercely protecting the family reputation above all else.

Sophia knew perfectly well that Margaret hadn't come to scold her, but to confront Elise instead.

True to form, Margaret patted Sophia's back comfortingly before declaring, "Take me to Elise immediately."

"Grandmother," Sophia murmured tearfully. "Elise didn't mean it. She's just heartbroken over her breakup with Samuel, that's why she's lashing out. You shouldn't—"

"That's for me to decide," Margaret cut her off sharply. "Just take me to her!"

"Of course," Sophia replied meekly, exchanging a subtle glance with Victoria.

Their eyes met in silent understanding, both wearing identical malicious smiles.

When they arrived at Elise's office, Matthew Johnson quickly intercepted them.

"Who are you here to see?" he asked, positioning himself as a barrier.

Margaret ignored him completely, pushing past to open the door directly.

Elise looked up from her desk, her eyes meeting Matthew's apologetic gaze. With a subtle nod from her, he retreated, quietly closing the door behind him.

Margaret stormed toward Elise's desk, her expression thunderous.

Elise felt a flicker of surprise at her grandmother's unexpected visit, though she harbored no illusions about Margaret's intentions. Margaret always took Sophia's side, never standing for justice.