Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Chapter 31

RAVEL

(PRESENT TIME)

Since my return from Seattle, sleep has eluded me completely. It all started with a heated exchange with Hazel, which lingered in my mind long into the night. And as if that wasn’t enough, my encounter with David added to the turmoil, leaving me restless. Eventually, I decided to escape the situation and headed straight to New York the next morning.

To my surprise, when I reached my office in New York, Rose was already there, waiting with a fresh suit, having anticipated my arrival. Grateful for the thoughtfulness, I quickly changed into the new outfit and delved into work without wasting any time. Hours stretched into the night, and I found myself tirelessly working until the clock struck two am.

The incessant noise of my alarm and ringing cell phone, now both ignored, was grating on my nerves.

Feeling exasperated, I buried my face into the pillow, attempting to drown out the persistent interruptions. At this point, it seemed like any possibility of a peaceful slumber was a distant dream.

–

Exhausted and irritated by the early morning disturbance, I groaned into my pillow, cursing the time –

barely five o’clock! All I wanted was a mere three hours of peaceful sleep. Reluctantly, I reached for the phone, swiped to answer the call, and pressed it to my ear, muttering a sleepy “Southwark.”

To my surprise, it was Rose on the line, and confusion clouded my just-awakened mind. We had only met a few hours ago, so what could be so urgent to warrant such an early call? My patience wearing thin, I asked impatiently, “Someone better be dying, Rose! Why the hell are you calling me this early?”

Her voice trembled with urgency as she replied, “We have a problem, sir! You need to go online immediately. There’s a crazy video circulating, and it’s not good at all.”

Suddenly wide awake, all traces of sleep evaporated from my eyes. I sat up in bed, the gravity of the situation sinking in. Whatever was happening demanded my immediate attention.

My heart raced in my chest as I grabbed my tablet, hastily navigating to the internet. My finger trembled with anxiety as I searched for the news, fearing the worst. To my immense relief, I didn’t find the dreaded video I had expected. Instead, it was a video of me relentlessly hitting David.

Taking a deep breath, I realized I’d rather face the consequences of this video than the other possibility.

With a heavy sigh, I’ refocused my attention on Rose, who had been frantically explaining on the other end of the phone. “When was this uploaded?” I inquired urgently.

“Thirty minutes ago!” Rose exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief. “And it’s already garnered over ten million views! I can’t believe the speed it’s spreading!”

I placed the call on loudspeaker and dropped the phone on the bed while I focused on my tablet, playing the uploaded video. It showed the intense moment when I pinned David to the concrete floor and delivered blows relentlessly.

I clicked on the comments and reviews to gauge the audience’s reaction. “What’s the negative response rate?” I asked.

“Over seventy percent,” she replied with frustration evident in her voice. “This is going to have a detrimental impact on the exhibition.”

Raymond tried to warn me about this. “What are the social media team and strategists doing?” I inquired, desperate for a solution. That ba stard told me he fights dirty; I guess he wasn’t joking.

Unfortunately, hitting David’s finances wasn’t an option due to his connection with Hazel. “Can they fix this?”

“They’re working on it and they assured me that they’ll fix this.” She sounds so unsure of what she’s saying. If really they are doing something about this, I shouldn’t even be able to access this video.

“I want that video taken down,” I hissed, my annoyance palpable. I paid my social media team handsomely precisely to handle situations like this promptly, and their sluggishness was unacceptable.

“Tell Jasper I’m going back online in the next five minutes,” I instructed firmly, “And when I do, that video better not be anywhere in sight.”

Rose’s tired sigh resonated through the phone as she tried to explain the situation. “They’ve been doing their best, sir. It seems like whoever uploaded the video is intentionally targeting you” She snapped at someone in the background before continuing, “Within thirty minutes, Jasper and his team have taken down the video ten times, only for it to be re-uploaded.

ten times.”

Frustration boiled within me, realizing that the uploader had ulterior motives to make the video go viral.

“That da mn ba stard!” I seethed, pondering various ways to retaliate against David. However, I knew any actions against him would indirectly affect Hazel, which only added to my annoyance,

As Rose kept talking, her voice bringing me back to the current situation, she suggested, “You’ll need a press conference to address this before it escalates further. I’ll send you the speech before you leave for work.”

Acknowledging the need for damage control, I agreed, “Keep me updated on the situation at the office.”

This ordeal was far from over, and I had to stay vigilant to protect my reputation and business interests.

“Yes sir.” She muttered right before I disconnected the call.

Feeling overwhelmed, I ended the call with Rose and just as I thought I could have a moment to myself, Anne’s name popped up on my screen. Not wanting to deal with her complaints, I declined the call, and instead, I decided to seek solace in liquor.

In the living room, I found Raymond anxiously pacing while on a call, clearly trying to handle the situation to protect the exhibition. He noticed me behind him and stopped abruptly. “I need positive reviews,” he snapped into the receiver, “I don’t care how many fake accounts you create, just defend him!”

Raymond disconnected the call and angrily tossed the phone onto the sofa. The weight of the situation was evident on his face, mirroring my own emotions. It was clear we were both grappling with the magnitude of the problem, and the pressure to salvage my reputation for the sake of the company and exhibition was immense.