For a moment, the car was silent except for the hum of the engine and the distant sounds of city traffic. Then Scarlett burst out laughing so loud, the sound filled the vehicle like smoke. "Wait, wait, wait." She held up a hand, gasping for breath between laughs. "Let me get this straight. You're telling me that you are Bruce Dominic Shepherd?" Bruce said nothing. His eyes drove on the moment the traffic light turned green. "Oh, this is priceless!" Scarlett slapped her knee, genuinely delighted. "This is absolutely the funniest thing I've heard in years! You! The man who Caro dumped like yesterday's garbage—you're the trillionaire?" "I am," Bruce said calmly. Scarlett's laughter only grew louder. "Oh, honey." She leaned forward, patting his shoulder. "I knew you were pathetic. But I didn't know you were delusional too." Bruce's knuckles tightened on the steering wheel, but his face remained neutral. "All those years of failure finally cracked something upstairs, huh?"

That evening, millions of televisions across the country tuned in to watch the live broadcast of Celebrity Spotlight. Cameras glided smoothly across the audience before focusing on the host seated behind a sleek glass desk. The host was a well-known personality named Derek Matthews, an interviewer who got famous for digging into the personal lives of celebrities. Derek sat in his signature armchair, flashing a wide smile at the camera. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Celebrity Spotlight! I'm your host, Derek Matthews, and tonight we have a story that has captivated the entire world." A large screen behind him lit up with images of Caro holding the bouquet of flowers she received from Bruce Dominic Shepherd. “Just days ago,” Derek continued, “a young businesswoman suddenly found herself at the center of global attention when she received flowers from the wealthiest man on earth—Bruce Dominic Shepherd.” The audience murmured excitedly. Derek raised his h

Caro stormed across the parking lot toward her car like a bat out of hell. Scarlett hurried behind her, gripping her purse tightly, her face filled with shame and anger.Both women climbed inside the car. The moment the door shut, Scarlett exploded.“What the hell was that?!” she shouted, her voice filling the entire car.Caro turned toward her, equally furious. “How should I know?!” she snapped. “We were set up!”"Set up?" Scarlett threw her hands in the air. "Why the hell would they set us up?"Caro's eyes burned with rage. "How should I know? The moment Bruce brought up Willis, Derek refused to cut to commercials! He went off script and gave Bruce liberty to spill the beans."Scarlett eyes burned with anger. “Why didn’t you tell me you were having an affair with Willis Stone while you were married to Bruce?!”Caro looked away in frustration. “I didn’t think it was important!”Scarlett leaned forward, her voice rising. "Not important? You didn't think to mention your affair with Wil

The scandal didn’t die down. Instead, it only got worse. The Internet wouldn't stop talking about it. Every news channel covered the scandal nonstop, treating it as if it were the only story worth airing.The very next morning, Caro Griffin took action publicly. Through her lawyers, she filed a lawsuit demanding $100 million in damages for defamation. The lawsuit named two defendants: Bruce Griffin and the television studio behind Celebrity Spotlight.Her lawyers claimed Bruce had deliberately lied on national television to destroy her reputation. They also accused the studio of allowing the accusations to air without stopping the segment.News outlets quickly picked up the story: “CARO GRIFFIN FILES $100M DEFAMATION LAWSUIT.”However, just as Bruce had predicted, Griffin Enterprises was sinking. Within a span of three days, the company’s stock price fell by 53%. Investors began to sell their shares, while business partners stopped answering calls. Even several deals were quietly te

Outside The Black Orchid, Bruce pulled his gray sedan up to the valet stand. A young valet in a crisp uniform approached with a frown on his face as he accessed the car with one glance. Unlike the luxurious cars he was used to parking, Bruce sedan was a modest 2018 Toyota Camry with a small dent on the passenger door. Not the type of car that graces this establishment."This?" the valet asked, gesturing at the Camry with disgust. "This is your car?""Yup," Bruce stepped out, tossing the keys toward the valet. "Please treat her with care."The valet made no move to catch them. Instead, he let the keys clatter on the pavement.The valet crossed his arms. "Just who do you think you are, pal? This is The Black Orchid. We don't park junk here."Bruce regarded him calmly. "I'm here on business.""Business?" The valet laughed. "In that? Look, buddy, this restaurant is for elites and businessmen. Not commoners like you who probably can't afford a glass of water inside."Bruce bent down, pic