Chapter 440: Chapter 440

The chaos that had ensued since the major accident had yet to die down. The media had turned into hungry wolves in the absence of any response from the most powerful family. Well, not quite.

At first, they had trodden carefully, testing the waters with cautious speculation. Even the interview that Aliya had held had only been widely shared on a few platforms, and the rest had been individuals. But after a few days of pushing boundaries—touching what could have been considered bottom lines—and receiving no repercussions, their restraint snapped.

One could also say that it was largely fuelled by Ian’s old wife, Aliya. In a way, it did make sense, at least to the masses. Aliya had paraded herself as the wrong victim for a whole week, but for once, the Thornstons had turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to this. What did this mean? Many people had accepted the facts as they had been presented. Even updates from the police were ignored.

Brad sat in his office, tired. He had dark circles under his eyes but was fuming as he stared at the contents that were being broadcasted.

’Newsmen would always be like that...’ Brad sighed.

Like a pack of hyenas catching the scent of wounded prey, they descended upon the evolving story with ruthless fervour. Their headlines had grown bolder, whispers turned into accusations, and soon, the once-beloved woman of the island, Shelby, was reduced to nothing more than a scandal-ridden spectacle.

Shelby’s name, once spoken with admiration and a pinch of jealously, was now dripped with controversy. They tore into her legacy, twisting facts and fabricating details with reckless abandon.

Every past kindness was erased, every memory tainted, until all that remained was the filth they smeared across the public’s perception. No one believed that she had died in that accident. Not a single person did... even though the believe behind it was different for all.

Brad flipped the channel and settled on another one, but like the rest, they were all same. He left the channel there just to see what they had up their sleeves.

The newsroom was dimly lit, save for the cold glow of the cameras and the glaring red ’LIVE’ sign above. The anchor, a sharp-featured woman in a crisp navy blue suit, sat poised at the desk, a stack of papers in front of her.

Though her face remains professional, the slight arch of her brow and the deliberate pause before she speaks betray her absolute scorn. Newscasters were supposed to be neutral, but this one did not bother to hide her distaste for the story that she was about to read:

"Tonight, we bring you new details story that has left the island in shock. A scandal that, frankly, would be too outrageous for a fictional book ...if it weren’t so painfully real."

She exhaled sharply, shaking her head as if she herself could not believe what she was about to report. Even though this was considered old news. They re-iterated it over and over for the impact measure.

"A young wife, Shelby Monroe, barely past the honeymoon phase of her marriage, has done the unthinkable. Not just a betrayal, not just a disappearance...but an elopement in the most humiliating, disgraceful manner possible." She paused for dramatic effect as the camera zoomed in slightly.

On another part of the island, Aliya sat in the main receiving hall of the Thornston mansion with the TV on, and the volume turned to the highest possible. Several workers were lined up on either side of the wall with their heads bowed slightly. One would notice that all these workers were female.

Aliya popped a cracker into her mouth and smiled widely. This action only made the workers shudder, but they all tried their best to hold the emotion in, lest they were punished. Suzie was nowhere to be seen at this time.

The newscaster continued, "Picture this: A marriage that was never truly hers. A woman who clawed her way into a man’s life ... one might say opportunistically—only to abandon him in the most undignified way imaginable while he is on a sick bed.

And how, you ask, did she make her grand exit? Did she slip away quietly, with a shred of dignity? No. Of course not. That would require shame; clearly, that is not something she possesses."

The newscaster picked up a single sheet of paper and tapped it against the desk before continuing, her voice dripping with controlled disdain.

"She, the former Mrs. Thornston... if we can call her that, didn’t just leave in the dead of night. She didn’t even leave with some unknown stranger. No, she ran away with a man who had been employed by her husband as her assistant. Shelby, as he is known, was the most disliked daughter of her family, but look at what she did.

Someone trusted. And let’s not forget the most dramatic part of this disgraceful departure-she faked her own death, leaving those kids who had bonded with her behind. We hear that Mr Ian Thornston is in critical condition because of that. Just look at where a woman had brought the most powerful man?

The most painful part of all this is this...."

She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice as if to confide in the audience, as the camera zoomed in....

"It begs the question .... was she ever truly his wife? Or was she simply playing the role until a better opportunity arrived? We all know the answer as she made her exit just as the rightful wife appeared! We will never know what went on behind closed doors, but we saw what happened, and that is enough for us to be utterly disgusted!"

She straightened, smoothing a hand over the papers before giving the camera a cool, piercing look.

"One thing is certain .... there’s a special place in hell for women like her. And rest assured, we will not let this story fade away! That I promise!"

The camera lingered on her steely expression.

"In our next edition, we bring you even more absurd news that purports to question the very foundation of the Thornston Family! Believe me, you do not want to miss this!" The screen faded to black, and Brad frowned.

He wished that he could destroy all those media houses that were pouring muddy water over their family, but Currey had told him to let things be. It had been a full week since the accident, but they still had no news on Shelby and Murray, and Ian was still comatose!

Brad did not understand why things had to get that bad....

’Were they ever going to get better?’ He asked himself for the millionth time. However, despite how much Brad wanted to confront Aliya, when he thought back to that vile creature Currey had shown them, it was enough to deter him.

"Are they finally going to bring out that news?" Brad smirked at the thought.

Meanwhile, Aliya was having the time of her life in the Thornston estate.

"You! Come massage my feet!"

The workers were distressed by even Madam Geneva had given in, so who were they?

There was one thing that stood out for all of these workers, they did not believe a word of what was coming out of the media! They hoped with all their heart that Shelby was okay wherever she was.

The room was cold and unnaturally so. The dim glow of countless monitors cast long shadows against the walls, their flickering light the only indication that time was still moving. The quiet hum of the machines droned endlessly, merging with the rhythmic tapping of keys that had long since fallen silent. Stale air clung to the space, untouched by the warmth of the outside world. There had been no movement in this for days on end.

In the centre of it, all sat a lone figure, hunched over a cluster of screens, his face illuminated in an eerie blue glow. His eyes sunken from exhaustion as he stared blankly at the data sprawled before him, though it was unclear if he was genuinely seeing any of it. His fingers, once restless with determination, now lay still on the keyboard as if paralyzed by the weight of his own thoughts.

Currey had been at this for days. He had divided his attention between doing this and hovering his remote sense on all the members of the family. He was truly exhausted.

Then, suddenly, movement.

It was so sudden that Currey bolted upright, his mind snapping to attention. His pulse surged, and a jolt of adrenaline coursed through his veins. Excitement flickered in his eyes for a fleeting second—had he found something? Had he finally uncovered the piece he was missing?

This was the first time in days that he had felt anything from his brother.

"Murray! Is that you?! Where-"

But just as quickly as it came, the feeling died.

Currey’s hope crumbled, and the icy weight of disappointment settled over him once more.

"Murray please.... Give me something!"

After a few moments, nothing came through again. Currey’s shoulders sagged, and he exhaled sharply, the quiet room swallowing the sound. The cold monitors continued their silent vigil, indifferent to his struggle, their unfeeling light illuminating the frustration etched across his face.

Just then, another waft rushed at him and Currey jumped up in excitement. Whatever this was, he was going to grasp it with all his might!

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