Chapter 78

In the dead of night, Brandon stormed into the house, kicking the coffee table to pieces.

I pretended to be woken up by the noise and went downstairs, walking over to him.

"Babe, what's got you so worked up?"

Brandon was fuming about the fact that the kid was really Earl's, but he couldn't tell me directly, so he forced a smile. "Just some work stuff, really frustrating."

I sneered inwardly but kept a concerned look on my face. "Is it because of all the public backlash? Actually, I have an idea."

He nodded. "Let's hear it."

"Because of Elora, all of Earl's past actions have been dug up. His fights, paying for school, all of it is hurting the company's reputation."

"Why don't we hold a press conference to distance the company from Earl and Elora? This way, the public might focus on them instead."

I hesitated a bit. "It might be a bit underhanded, but it's better than the current mess, right?"

Brandon's eyes showed a cold glint as he thought it over. He had never agreed to use family as a shield before, but this time, it was Earl who had caused the trouble. So, Brandon nodded, a ruthless look in his eyes. "Alright, let's do it."

I smiled slightly. The rift between them was now irreparable.

We acted quickly. Brandon sent Earl to another city, and during that time, we held the press conference.

At the conference, Brandon portrayed Earl and Elora's relationship as a personal matter, completely unrelated to the company. He also announced that Earl would be demoted internally because of this issue.

When it was my turn, I recounted my experiences with Elora over the years, adding some embellishments about how she betrayed the company, making it clear we were cutting ties with her.

The cameras flashed incessantly, but I didn't blink, maintaining my smile.

It wasn't until I stepped off the stage that I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

I used to face such situations without any fear, but now, for some reason, I felt a bit nervous.

As soon as I reached the backstage area to rest, I saw Earl storming into Brandon's room, shouting.

"You sent me away just to do this? What the hell are you thinking?"

Brandon stood up, looking at him coldly. "You know what you did. But because you're my brother, I won't actually punish you. It's just for show. You should be grateful."

Earl scoffed. "Screw you."

Brandon's eyes blazed with anger. "Say that again, I dare you."

Earl retorted defiantly. "What if I do? Do you have the guts to tell Caroline what you did?"

"You slept with Elora too, didn't you? Stop pretending to be a saint."

Brandon slammed the table. "Shut up!"

I stood by the door, listening, a cold smile on my lips.

"Everyone knows I treated Elora as my future wife, even raised her child as my own. But the child turned out to be yours?"

Just then, someone tapped my shoulder. "Mrs. Jordan..."

I jumped and turned around, seeing a clean-cut young man standing behind me.

"Who are you?"

The man replied politely, "Hi, Mrs. Jordan. I'm Francis, Earl's personal assistant."

Before I could respond, he added, "I was also placed here by Mr. Lawson."

I relaxed and nodded.

He smiled at me, then knocked on the door of the room.

The argument inside stopped immediately, showing they hadn't lost their minds completely.

"Who is it?"

"It's Francis."

I quickly moved aside, pretending I had just arrived.

The door opened, and Francis walked in, with me following behind.

Seeing me, they didn't continue their previous argument, but the tension in the air was palpable.

Earl's face was grim. "Caroline, was this press conference your idea?"

I nodded calmly, sitting on the couch. "What's the problem?"

"It's not about whether there's a problem, Caroline. Don't you think what you did was wrong? How am I supposed to face the company now? And what about Jason?"

Mentioning Jason made Brandon's face even darker.

I sneered. "What should we do? Because of that troublemaker Elora, the public is attacking you too, saying two people can't share a bed without something happening. They've even dug up your past fights in school. Should we just watch the company collapse without doing anything?"

Earl gritted his teeth. "Those people don't matter. Who cares what they think? It'll blow over in a few days."

I rolled my eyes. "People who paid their way through school have such shallow views. With the current public opinion, they'll dig up everything about you. Don't you care because it's not your company?"

"You..."

Earl looked insulted. "What are you glaring at? Did I say anything about your education? Don't forget who paid for your schooling. Without our family's help, you wouldn't have even graduated."

"Caroline, you don't understand the company matters. Why are you meddling?"

"Meddling?" I pointed at myself, laughing in anger. "Ask Brandon. Without me, could you guys have secured the overseas sales channels?"

At that moment, the door to the room opened. "Caroline, that's a bit harsh. Aren't we family?"

Renee walked in, her tone sinister.

Since I had already said so much, I didn't mind being even harsher. "Isn't it true?"

"If it weren't for me, what would the Jordan family be doing now? You all know better than I do."

"The company is full of your family members, and orders have dropped significantly. Don't you know that?"

After my words, Earl fell silent, knowing I was right.

Renee, not involved in the company, showed no guilt, her eyes turning cold.

"And just because I don't say anything doesn't mean I don't know. Brandon and Elora went to a hotel together. I just thought men make mistakes and forgave him this once."

"If I catch you again, you're all out! Let's see what you are without the company."

I snorted, turned, and left, not caring how they looked at me.