Chapter 692

Brielle’s taxi pulled up outside the towering edifice of Stellar Stage Entertainment to find a throng of people already crowding the entrance. Reporters were broadcasting live, their cameras pointed at the chaos. It was a blockade, utterly impenetrable.

The driver, catching sight of the bedlam, couldn’t help but exclaim, “This company’s the devil incarnate, I tell ya. Heard the big boss is forcing some poor girl to her demise. Utterly wicked”

Brielle, masked to avoid recognition, had now realized that the situation with Stellar Stage Entertainment had gone citywide in no time. She had the driver circle the building, but everywhere was swamped with frenzied fans, held back only by the burly security guards who were preventing what seemed like an imminent not.

Rubbing her temples, she resignedly gave the driver Tiffanie’s address. As soon as they reached Tiffanie’s apartment building. Brielle’s phone began to ring. It was an unfamiliar number. A sense of foreboding washed over her. She hesitated before finally answering just as it was about to disconnect.

Michael’s voice came through, terse and unamused. “It looks like you’ve messed up.”

He was referring to her promise to skyrocket Stellar Stage Entertainment’s performance within six months. The company’s reputation was now in the gutter, worse than ever before.

Stellar Stage Entertainment used to be off the radar, but now it’s the town pariah. Forget about profits.

The stock’s barely staying afloat.

“Brielle, you’ve lost.” His tone was icy, but Brielle could detect a hint of pleasure. “I’ll give you a sum of money. Leave Beaconsfield.”

Already on edge from a spat with Max, Brielle’s stubbornness surged at Michael’s words. “Michael, the game isn’t over yet.”

He raised an eyebrow, his voice dripping with condescension, “Without Max, what chance do you have? Face it, Brielle, you and Max were never meant to be.”

“If I were the type to accept my fate, I would’ve starved on the streets as a child. I’ve come this far because I never gave up.

Her tone was even, devoid of emotion. She paid the driver with cash from her purse and looked up at Tiffanie’s residence.

“The universe hasn’t settled yet, Michael. There’s always uncertainty.”

A chill flickered in Michael’s eyes. He detested the defiance of those from the lower rungs of society. To him, the world’s wealth and power belonged to the elite, and despite Brielle’s tenacity, her origins were her shackles.

Economists termed the chances of social mobility as a measure of hope for the underprivileged. High mobility meant a chance for the poor, most people like Brielle clung to that hope. But in a stable, developing country, social mobility inevitably dwindled.

Beaconsfield was one such place where mobility was scarce, its resources and connections cemented within an exclusive circle. For Brielle to climb out of this quagmire was nigh impossible.

Michael had no more words to waste. “Stellar Stage Entertainment is under Dorsey International, and this mess won’t leave us unscathed. We can handle the fallout if you step down now.”

15:12 “I haven’t lost yet, Michael.” With that, Brielle hung up first.

Michael, staring into the silent phone, was shrouded in darkness. He managed to held his composure and turned his attention back to the news on TV When Brielle found Tiffanie, she was on her way out. Her face lit up at Brielle’s arrival. “I was about to look for you. What’s our next move?”

Brielle shrugged, “Give me the USB stick.”

Tiffanie quickly handed it over, along with her laptop. The video on the stick showed Arnelia, not as the iron lady she was known to be but cooing vile sweet nothings to two men clinging to her. Their conversation got more repulsive by the moment.

Brielle smirked. This footage was gold.

Tiffanie was pacing, anxious. “Do we release it now? Stellar Stage Entertainment’s about to be torn apart as it is!”

Instead of releasing it right away, Brielle anonymously leaked a message within Stellar Stage Entertainment. [Looking to buy shares at $50 a pop. Interested parties, get in touch.]

The number she left was foreign, free from local tracking, and untraceable to Mason. With the company’s stock plummeting, the offer was a godsend for shareholders. Yet, some questioned the legitimacy of the deal. With Stellar Stage Entertainment in the eye of the storm, why would anyone offer such a price for its shares? What was the buyer’s angle?