Richard’s POV
“How could that be possible?” Elizabeth continued, her eyes gleaming with the excitement of scandalous gossip. “Brandon threw Elle out on the spot. He left town right after. But then the Sinclairs latched onto Brandon like parasites, insisting he had forced himself on Elle and demanding he ‘make things right. Even Jane sided with Ble. Brandon made his position crystal clear–he would nevet marry Elle, and he banned Jane from returning to New York.”
“Wow,” I said, genuinely surprised. “I had absolutely no idea about any of this.”
I leaned back in my armchair, processing this information. Whatever happened in Washington DC stayed in Washington DC- especially when it involved one of New York’s most powerful families
“The Stark family would never let news like that leak,” I reasoned. They’ve got too much influence in this city. Not a single newspaper would dare touch that story without their blessing.”
Elizabeth nodded eagerly. “But here’s the kicker–the Sinclair family actually threw an engagement party for Elle without Brandon even being there! That’s why she still calls herself Brandon’s fiancée to this day.”
Her eyes widened. “So it must be Elle behind all this! She’s spreading these rumors about Victoria and Brandon to get back at him!”
I shook my head, always the more pragmatic of the two of us. “Not necessarily. Elle alone doesn’t have that kind of power. She’s just one person.”
“Think about it,” I prompted. “Who’s Elle’s guardian? Who would be bold enough to release this kind of information, smearing Victoria while Brandon stands by and does nothing? Besides the Sinclair family, who else could it possibly be?”
The reality of the situation slowly registered on Elizabeth’s face.
“Those Sinclairs have gone too far this time,” Elizabeth hissed, rising to her feet in indignation. “This is between them and the Starks–what does Victoria have to do with any of it? Why drag our daughter into their family drama?”
She paced the room, her designer heels clicking rhythmically against the hardwood floor. “I won’t let them get away with this. I don’t care about their Washington connections! Nobody hurts my Victoria and gets away with it!”
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Elizabeth, calm down. Don’t be rash. Unless we have absolutely no other choice, we/ shouldn’t make enemies of the Sinclair family.”
I lowered my voice. “Look, even Brandon hasn’t moved against them yet. That tells me he’s still concerned about maintaining the Sinclair family’s reputation. If you go after them now, you’re practically declaring war–not just on the Sinclairs, but potentially on
Brandon too.”
Elizabeth whirled around, her eyes flashing. “So what exactly are you suggesting? That Victoria should just continue suffering this online harassment? That we should just sit back and watch our daughter’s reputation get dragged through the mud?”
“You make a fair point,” I conceded. “But for Victoria’s future, we need to be strategic, not impulsive.” I paused. “Don’t forget that George and Brandon have a good relationship. We need to consider that angle.”
At the mention of my father, Elizabeth’s expression shifted.
“You’re right,” she said finally. “We should talk to George first, see if he can give us insight into Brandon’s position. Maybe he could even persuade Brandon to help Victoria clear her name.”
She sat down again, smoothing her skirt. “And if that doesn’t work… well, we’ll have to resort to more drastic measures.”
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Chapter 278
“What kind of drastic measures?” I asked warily.
A cold smile spread across Elizabeth’s face. ‘Exposing Elle’s family mental health history.”
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite myself.
“You probably don’t know this,” Elizabeth continued, leaning forward ‘But years ago, when the Sinclair patriarch was about to marry his first love–Elle’s mother–she had a psychotic break right in the Sinclair family home. She bit one of the Sinclair elders and attacked an old lady. Complete psychotic meltdown.”
Elizabeth’s eyes gleamed with malicious satisfaction. “The Sinclairs were horrified. Even though she supposedly got better later, they couldn’t risk bringing someone with that kind of… genetic predisposition into their bloodline.”
“Are you suggesting Elle inherited her mother’s condition?” I asked carefully.
“Absolutely,” Elizabeth replied without hesitation. “Her obsession with Brandon is pathological! The way she’s fixated on him? It’s not normal. It’s downright disturbing.”
I considered this information carefully. If true, it was certainly powerful ammunition. But using it would be like detonating a nuclear bomb in New York high society.
“Put that information aside for now,” I advised. “Only if we have absolutely no other options should we even consider using it.”
I stood up, straightening my tie. “I’ll talk to George myself.”
“Fine,” Elizabeth agreed, though I could tell she wasn’t entirely pleased with my restraint.
My father’s private study had always intimidated me, even as a grown man. The dark wood paneling, the imposing bookshelves, and the ever–present scent of expensive cigars created an atmosphere of old money and quiet power.
“You wanted to see me?‘ he asked without looking up from his desk.
“Father, I’ve come to talk about Victoria,” I began.
“Victoria?” he said, finally raising his eyes to meet mine. ‘I’ve heard about her recent troubles. I may be old, Richard, but I’m not blind. She-
“Father,” I interrupted hastily, “Victoria might be a bit spoiled, but she’s good at heart. Besides, she’s married to Alexander–how could she possibly be involved with Brandon?”
George leaned back in his chair, studying me with those penetrating eyes that seemed to miss nothing. “I hadn’t even finished my thought, and here you are, already defending her. Richard, have you ever asked yourself why, though Victoria and Summer are both my granddaughters, I’ve always favored Summer and shown little affection for Victoria?”
I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
“You know why,” he continued. “Deep down, you know exactly why. But I won’t belabor the point. Whether Victoria is at fault here or not, I don’t particularly care to know. Since you’ve come to me, why don’t you tell me exactly what you want?”
I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of old family sins pressing down on me. “I came to ask for your help. You have a good relationship with Brandon, don’t you? Could you ask him to clarify the situation publicly? It would only take a single statement from him to put an end to all this. Victoria is still building her career in entertainment–it’s a cutthroat industry as it is, without these false accusations. And now Capital Corp is taking hits too. Father-
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Chapter 278
“Enough,” George raised his hand, silencing me. “I understand what you’re asking. Yes, I do have some connection with Brandon, Whether that connection is strong enough to help you… that remain to be seen.”
“If you could just try,” I pressed “If it doesn’t work, I’ll find another way.”
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