Chapter 6 - SHATTERED FACADES
The fallout from the press conference was swift and utterly devastating for my brother.
Nicholas’s desperate attempt to leak my files backfired with catastrophic precision. Because we had controlled the narrative, the media didn't see a scandal; they saw a visionary woman betrayed by an envious, incompetent sibling. Investigative journalists, hungry for drama, began digging into Nicholas’s own company to figure out why he was so desperate.
What they found was a nightmare.
Within forty-eight hours, an exposé was published detailing Nicholas’s fraudulent accounting practices, fake client testimonials, and a history of emotionally abusive workplace behavior. The Vanguard investors didn't just pull out; they publicly denounced him. His board of directors forced an emergency vote and ousted him as CEO. His newlywed wife, realizing the money and status she had married into was an illusion, filed for an annulment before they even unpacked from their honeymoon.
I watched it all unfold from the pristine sanctuary of my new corner office, feeling a complex mix of vindication and profound sadness. I hadn't wanted to destroy my brother. I only wanted him to stop destroying me. But the universe had a funny way of balancing the scales.
Two weeks later, the annual Global Innovators Gala was held in New York City. It was the premier event of the year, a gathering of the world’s most elite minds. A month ago, I wouldn't have been allowed past the coat check. Tonight, I was the guest of honor.
I arrived in a stunning, emerald-green silk gown that cascaded perfectly to the floor, my hair swept up in an elegant style that exposed the diamond necklace Emmett had gifted me that evening. When Emmett and I stepped out of the limousine, the paparazzi went wild. We walked the red carpet hand in hand, stopping for photos, answering questions with practiced ease. We were the undisputed power couple of the corporate world.
Inside the grand ballroom—a stark contrast to the one where this all began—the atmosphere was electric. Executives who would have previously ignored me now practically tripped over themselves to introduce themselves, hoping to secure a consultation or pitch a partnership.
"Overwhelming?" Emmett whispered in my ear, his hand resting warmly on the small of my back.
"A little," I admitted, taking a sip of champagne. "But mostly... it's just nice to finally exist."
As we made our way toward our table—Table One, right at the front—a familiar, desperate voice called out over the dull roar of the crowd.
"Jenna! Jenna, please!"
I stopped and turned. Pushing through the crowd of elegantly dressed billionaires were my parents. They looked entirely out of place, their expressions a mixture of awe, desperation, and calculated affection. They had somehow managed to procure invitations, likely calling in every favor they had left.
"Oh, sweetie, look at you!" My mother gasped, reaching out to grab my hands. I instinctively pulled back, leaving her hands hovering awkwardly in the air. "We've been trying to call you for weeks. Your phone has been off."
"I changed my number, Mother," I said calmly, my voice void of the subservience I used to offer them.
My father cleared his throat, puffing out his chest in a weak imitation of his former authority. "Jenna, what happened with Nicholas... it was a tragedy. He’s lost everything. The boy is in a terrible state. We need you to help him. You have power now. You and Emmett can offer him a position, a consulting gig, anything to get him back on his feet. You’re family."
I stared at them. The audacity of it was almost breathtaking. After thirty years of treating me like a ghost, after watching Nicholas banish me to the children's table and say nothing, they were now trying to leverage my success to save their golden boy.
"Family?" I echoed, the word tasting like ash in my mouth. "Family is supposed to protect you. Family is supposed to see your value before the rest of the world does. When Nicholas tried to humiliate me, you said nothing. When he tried to blackmail me and ruin my life, you called me and begged me to just let him win so he wouldn't be embarrassed."
"Jenna, be reasonable," my father snapped, a hint of his old temper flaring. "He's your brother. He made a mistake."
"He didn't make a mistake. He made a choice," I corrected him, my voice icy and resolute. "And now he has to live with the consequences of that choice. Just like you have to live with yours."
"You can't just cut us off!" my mother cried, tears pooling in her eyes. "We're your parents!"
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"I am not cutting you off," I said softly, the final shred of my childhood need for their approval dying in that exact moment. "I am simply matching the exact level of support and respect you have given me my entire life. Goodbye, Mother. Goodbye, Father."
I turned my back on them and walked away. I didn't look back. I felt Emmett’s hand slide into mine, his grip firm and infinitely reassuring. We took our seats at the head table, surrounded by peers who respected my mind, sitting next to a man who loved my soul. The facade of my old life was completely shattered, and the reality I had built in its place was beautiful.
