Mated to my sister’s ugly mate

Shadow’s eyes narrowed as she read the comment, a sense of unease creeping over her. The constant clashes with Jessica over the past few months had sharpened her instincts, and something about this comment seemed intentionally planted. There was an orchestrated group of netizens below, hired to attack and spread the message.

Thoughts of Hazel flooded Shadow’s mind. She immediately sent Hazel a screenshot of the comment, accusing her, “Did you write this? Did you hire people to spread it?”

Within moments, Hazel shot back a defensive response. “How the hell did you know? Did you put some weird spying device on my phone?”

A brief smile played at the corners of Shadow’s lips. “It was simply my intuition,” she replied cryptically.

Hazel persisted, her troublemaking nature unwavering. “Your intuition is uncanny! But if you’re planning to expose the Eden Group, why not let me join? I can support you!”

Shadow’s concern for Hazel outweighed any desire for assistance. “Stay out of it. I can handle this. You’re a public figure, and if your reputation gets tarnished, it’ll be hard to recover.”

“It’ll be fine, trust me. I’ve taken precautions to protect my anonymity. I won’t reveal anything for now,” Hazel assured, excitement evident in her tone. “Let’s celebrate tonight over dinner!”

Celebrate? Shadow sighed helplessly and ended the chat. As she got up to join a department meeting, a colleague questioned her lingering presence.

“Shadow, the meeting has started. Why are you still here?”

“I’m coming,” she replied calmly, pocketing her phone and following her colleagues to the meeting room.

To her surprise, it was not Jessica who conducted the meeting, but the deputy manager. His face was grim as he addressed the team. “Reach out to the project partners and offer reassurance. As for clients wanting to cancel cooperation, prioritize handling their concerns.”

Boredom washed over Shadow as she absentmindedly played with her hair, only half-listening to the deputy manager’s instructions.

The exposure of the Eden Group’s shady practices would inevitably lead to a significant drop in the company’s reputation. Just like the scandal involving a certain milk powder brand, public perception would turn against them. The worst-case scenario? Bankruptcy. The best-case scenario? A long and arduous journey to rebuild their reputation.

The Eden Group dealt in daily necessities, not food products. With proper public relations, they might avoid bankruptcy, but the losses would be substantial. In this era of cutthroat competition, people would do anything for fame and profit. Few could truly be relied upon.

Shadow’s approach may have been ruthless, but if the Eden Group was truly trustworthy, would the media have uncovered their misdeeds?

After the emergency meeting concluded, everyone prepared for overtime work. Shadow, however, decided against it. Picking up her bag, she swiftly made her way to Jason’s office, coincidentally finding the door ajar.

From within the office, Jessica’s voice rang out angrily. “How much did we pay the media all these years? Is this how they operate? What do we do now? Will the Eden Group go bankrupt?”

Jason’s shout echoed through the room. “Shut up! I told you to keep a low profile when you go out! Now that someone has targeted the Eden Group, using your scandal to smear our name. They’re intentionally trying to bring us down!”

“How was I supposed to know they’d capture pictures and videos of me? I was just having fun! And where were you? Out finding women! I saw you take a girl younger than me to a hotel!”

The sound of a slap reverberated through the room, abruptly silencing Jessica. Shadow hesitantly pushed the door open, witnessing Jessica clutching her face in shock. “You hit me?”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Jason’s tone softened, showing signs of regret. “Jessica…”

“Don’t call me!” Jessica exclaimed, taking a step back. “Don’t you dare call me!”

She turned and swiftly fled the office, leaving Shadow to quietly slip away.

Just as she neared the exit, memories of the media swarming the Eden Group’s entrance flashed through her mind. Digging into her bag, she retrieved a mask and securely fastened it to her face. It was a habit to carry one during winter, but little did she know it would prove useful in unexpected circumstances.

As she stepped outside, a horde of reporters immediately surrounded her.

“Are you an employee of the Eden Group? What’s your position? Do you know about the factory’s scandal?”

“I have no comment,” Shadow replied calmly and instinctively glanced towards Jessica, who had also emerged from the building.

Thinking quickly, Shadow pointed in Jessica’s direction. “Our department manager is here. She can address your concerns.”

Following Shadow’s gaze, the reporters rushed towards Jessica, realizing that her fashionable attire indicated a higher position within the company.

The reporters bombarded Jessica with questions about the scandal and accusations of her involvement in an indecent video. Unaware of her familial ties to the Eden Group, they delved deeper into her personal life, exposing her affairs.

Shadow stood back, concealing herself in a corner as she observed the chaos unfolding around Jessica. Her heart ached for her colleague, keenly aware of the damage these revelations could have on her reputation.

The press conference transformed into a live broadcast as the reporters relentlessly pursued Jessica. Like vultures, they scrutinized her every move and captured photos of her distress.

Unable to bear it any longer, Jessica snatched a microphone, her voice shaking with fury. “What nonsense are you spewing? Can’t you report the truth? These are baseless accusations!”

Fueled by Jessica’s outburst, the reporters intensified their onslaught, seizing this opportunity to further demonize her.

Meanwhile, another reporter began a live broadcast, relishing in the chaos. “We’re here at the entrance of Eden Enterprise, where one of the middle management staff, Jessica Eden, is under intense scrutiny. It has been rumored that she is connected to the indecent video scandal…”

Before the reporter could continue, Jessica lunged at him, knocking the microphone away. Cameras flashed, capturing her desperate attempts to shield her face. “Stop taking pictures! I told you not to! Where’s security? Get rid of them!”

The reporter quickly recovered his microphone, excitement permeating his voice. “The person who knocked my microphone away earlier is none other than Jessica Eden, a manager at the Eden Group. I’ve just discovered that she’s the daughter of the company’s president!”