Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan)
Chapter 2003

"Carson!" Jonathan called out in a measured tone, "What's up?"

"It's bad, real bad!"

Carson relayed the nasty smear campaign that was unfolding back home against Estelle. "It's blown up. The Macclains have taken it upon themselves to tarnish Estelle's reputation. She's being dragged through the mud online, and both Snowy Studios and GK are feeling the heat."

Jonathan's voice cut through the chilly silence. "They're digging their own graves."

"When are you guys heading back? What can I do for Estelle right now?" Carson asked. "With Charlie out of town and Ms. Sampson and Morrison on their honeymoon, the Crawleys have picked the perfect moment."

The Crawleys seemed certain that Estelle wouldn't show her face, which explained their recklessness. Now, Estelle was crucified in the court of public opinion, and every accusation looked like a nail in her coffin. Even if she resurfaced later to clear the air, it was doubtful the online crowd would give her another chance.

The Crawleys had played their cards right.

Jonathan paused, then replied coldly, "Leave it for now. I'll handle it when I get back."

"Alright, I'll keep an eye on the Crawleys and stay in touch," Carson responded.

"Good."

The online feud over whether Estelle was the Macclains' adopted daughter or their biological child added fuel to the fire. When Stanley chose to stop responding, everyone assumed the Bennetts had won, tilting public sympathy in their favor.

Even Carmella's Twitter history got dragged up. Her past plagiarism had been proven, and yet there were those who questioned whether KING had manipulated the narrative with their wealth, twisting the truth. Some speculated that the original incident had been staged to pave the way for KING's emergence.

It was as if Carmella had been a mere pawn.

Perhaps out of sympathy, Carmella managed to trend once again.

Plagiarism, typically unforgivable, seemed to be conveniently overlooked.

Since Snowy Studios' PR department was constantly defending KING, the design studio was under relentless online attack. Their address was leaked, and furious netizens showed up to vandalize the place. The studio had no choice but to shut down temporarily, with designers and staff too scared to show up for work.

Carmella, seizing the moment, tweeted about GK's recent overseas-exclusive releases, praising them and suggesting that one design was made specifically to appease foreign clientele.

It wasn't uncommon for brands to tailor their designs to the tastes and cultures of their local markets - a standard marketing strategy employed by luxury brands worldwide.

But under Carmella's insidious spin, KING and GK were depicted as pandering to foreign tastes.

An hour later, Sabina retweeted Carmella's post.

Stirred up once again, the mob redirected their fury from Snowy Studios to GK's stores.

Within half a day, GK's stock had plummeted, forcing all their brick-and-mortar locations to close.

The online mob against KING had spilled into the streets, reaching a fever pitch!

Meanwhile, the Macclains were preparing to relocate their entire household to B City.

Late into the night, Jonathan sat on his balcony chair, his phone connected to the internal network. He browsed through the Macclains' official statement and the vitriol being spewed at KING online. His eyes were frosted over, as cold as the night's chill.

The transition of power was at hand, and Cliff was ready.

Jonathan had just called Jason, instructing him to stay out of it for now. The bigger picture mattered more. The Macclains and the Crawleys, those underhanded players, he'd deal with them personally. He had also reassured Henson and Norah to remain calm; they would be heading back soon.

It seemed the matters in Zion required swift resolution.

But everything would have to wait until after tomorrow.

Because tomorrow was the 29th.