He met each person's eyes in turn, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "Don't regret your decisions today. Don't come crying to me later claiming you were misled or pressured or didn't understand what you were doing. You're making a choice right now—to believe Linda's lies, to condemn me without evidence, to participate in what will ultimately be revealed as a malicious mob attack on an innocent person.""We won't regret anything!" the crowd shouted back."Because we're right!""Because you're guilty!""Because justice is on our side!"Linda was practically glowing with satisfaction now. She took several steps closer to Pervis, invading his personal space in a way that was clearly meant to be intimidating or provocative. Her chest—clearly augmented by plastic surgery and deliberately emphasized by her too-tight blouse—was thrust forward as she leaned in close to his face."You're going to regret every single thing you've done to me," Linda hissed, her breath hot against Pervis's

"Pervis?" Aria Coleman's voice came through the speaker phone clearly, cutting through the tense silence of the office like a blade. "I just received a report that there's some kind of disturbance in your department. What's happening down there?"Every person in the office held their breath, waiting to hear what Pervis would say. Would he complain about being attacked by his coworkers? Would he report their accusations to the CEO? Would he use this opportunity to get all of them in trouble?But Pervis's response was surprisingly casual, almost dismissive."It's nothing serious, Aria," Pervis said calmly, his eyes scanning the increasingly nervous faces around him. "Just some pests I need to take care of. Minor annoyances. Nothing that requires your direct intervention."The word "pests" landed like a slap. Several people in the crowd flinched visibly at being so casually dismissed, at being categorized as mere irritations rather than serious threats or righteous accusers.Linda's face

Despite Linda's visible panic and inability to provide specifics, several members of the crowd still clung to their earlier conviction, unwilling to admit they might have been wrong."We believe you, Linda!" Michael Roberts called out, though his voice lacked its earlier certainty. "Don't let Tyler intimidate you with his legal talk!""Yeah!" Sarah Chen added. "You don't have to prove anything to him! We saw how he treated you! We know what kind of person he is!""The victim shouldn't have to defend themselves!" Tom Bradford insisted. "That's victim-blaming! That's exactly what predators want—to make their victims feel like they're the ones on trial!"But their support sounded hollow now, defensive, like people trying to convince themselves as much as Linda. The earlier mob enthusiasm had transformed into something more uncertain, more desperate.Pervis listened to them with that same calm expression, then pulled out his phone again, holding it up so everyone could see."I'll make thi

Within an hour of the confrontation, Pervis had compiled everything—the security footage showing Linda's harassment of male coworkers, the videos of the office mob attack, audio recordings of the false accusations, and witness statements from the few employees who hadn't participated in the harassment.He forwarded it all to HR, copied Aria and the legal department, and included a formal complaint documenting every single person who'd participated in the hostile work environment and spread defamatory accusations without evidence.The response was swift and brutal.By early afternoon, Margaret Palmer from HR had convened an emergency disciplinary hearing. The offending employees were called in one by one—Michael Roberts, Sarah Chen, Tom Bradford, David Kim, Jennifer Park, and a dozen others who'd enthusiastically joined the mob.They emerged from those meetings pale-faced and shaken, carrying written warnings that would remain in their permanent employment records. Some received mandat

Aria walked back to her desk, pulling out her phone to make a note about tomorrow's emergency board meeting. "You're absolutely right about cleaning house, Pervis. I've been wanting to do this for months, but I needed someone I could trust completely to help lead the charge. Someone who understands what we're trying to build here, not just someone protecting their own interests."She looked up at him with a slight smile. "I'll help you in any way possible. Whatever resources you need, whatever support you require—consider it done. We're family, and family protects each other. Especially when we're taking on entrenched corruption."Pervis felt a weight lift from his shoulders at her words. He'd been prepared to do this alone if necessary, but having Aria's full support—her authority as CEO, her resources, her strategic mind—made everything significantly more viable."There is one thing I need immediately," Pervis said. "A private investigator. Someone trustworthy and efficient. Someone