Chapter 4: The Viral Trap
Matteo was right. Within forty-eight hours, Brittany Hale launched a full-scale public relations assault on Facebook and Instagram.
She posted a heavily edited video of herself crying in their upscale apartment, claiming that an "unstable ex-girlfriend" was trying to ruin Derek's corporate career by forcing a fraudulent baby onto him and using "underworld connections" to bully them. The video instantly went viral, gathering millions of views and triggering thousands of hateful comments directed at me.
“She’s just a gold digger trying to trap a successful man,” one popular comment read. “Derek deserves a paternity test! Good for him for standing his ground,” wrote another.
I sat in the morning room of the Vance estate, holding Lily against my chest, tears slipping down my face as I scrolled through the horrific comments.
"Stop reading them," Matteo said, stepping into the room and gently pulling the tablet from my hands. He knelt down in front of my chair, his large hand resting on my knee, providing a steady, grounding warmth. "I told you, Emma. This is exactly what we wanted them to do."
"How can you say that?" I sobbed. "They are dragging my name through the mud. They are calling my daughter a scam."
"Because tomorrow night is the annual Midwest Logistics Gala," Matteo explained, his silver eyes flashing with a dangerous, brilliant light. "Derek and Brittany have invited the city's entire business press to celebrate their new contract. They think they are going to control the narrative. But I’ve just bought out the broadcast rights for the event's live stream."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek, black flash drive.
"Marcus managed to retrieve the full, unedited security footage from the hospital hallway," Matteo smiled, a cold, beautiful curve of his lips. "The audio captures every single word Derek said. It captures Brittany's little smiles. It captures the exact moment he left his three-day-old daughter behind glass because she was a 'mistake.'"
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"You're going to play it at the gala?" I breathed.
"No," Matteo said, standing up and offering me his hand. "We are going to play it to the world. And you are going to be standing right next to me when it happens."
