Chapter 88

Ian's POV

The negative headlines about Eleanor were still trending, and I couldn't help but smile as I scrolled through my phone. The pressure I'd applied behind the scenes was working perfectly - her management company clearly couldn't suppress this scandal. Leaning back in my chair, I savored the moment.

*Time to check on Serena*, I thought, reaching for my phone. I wanted to see how she was handling her friend's public humiliation.

The phone rang three times before she answered. "What do you want, Ian?" Her voice was cold, controlled.

"I was just wondering," I kept my tone light, casual, "do you think Lucas will step in to help Eleanor? Given their... special relationship." The words rolled off my tongue smoothly, each one carefully chosen to cut.

A brief silence. Then Serena laughed, the sound sharp and dismissive. "Is that the best you can do?"

Her response pricked at my ego. I stood up, pacing across the office. "I'm genuinely curious, Serena. How did you manage to seduce Lucas Harrington?" The words came out harsher now, my control slipping. "You used to act so pure and proper, pushing my hand away if I even tried to touch you. Now look at you."

"Comparing yourself to Lucas?" Serena's voice dripped with derision. "That's ambitious, even for you. What exactly do you think you have over him? His looks? His wealth? His influence? You don't even come close."

My fingers tightened around the phone. She had no right to speak to me this way. "You-"

"Oh, and Ian?" She cut me off, her voice turning almost playful. "You might want to keep an eye on Nina. She's always had a habit of wanting what I have. Always gets jealous when I have something better than her. I wonder... has she noticed Lucas yet?"

The suggestion hit like a physical blow. My free hand clenched into a fist. "Nina isn't like you," I spat, but even as I said it, memories of Nina's recent strange behavior flooded my mind. The way she'd grown distant, how her eyes followed Lucas at social events...

"Nina would never-" I started, but Serena had already hung up.

I stood there, staring at my phone. A cold feeling settled in my stomach. Nina had been acting differently lately. More distant. Less interested in our plans. But surely she wouldn't...

Serena's POV

The gossip headlines about Eleanor were getting worse by the hour. The latest one screamed in bold text: "Rising Starlet Eleanor Yates: Secret Sugar Daddy Revealed?"

My thumb hovered over Lucas's contact. It was late, probably too late for a business call, but this wasn't just business - this was family. After another moment's hesitation, I typed out a message and attached the latest article link.

"Have you seen the news about Eleanor?"

Three dots appeared almost immediately, then disappeared, then reappeared. Finally: "Yes."

Just that. One word. I waited, but nothing else followed. My fingers moved across the screen again.

"Aren't you going to help clear things up? Most people online are convinced she's being kept by some wealthy businessman."

The response came faster this time: "Let her learn from this."

I stared at those words, a mixture of disbelief and anger rising in my chest. "What do you mean, 'let her learn'? She's your sister!"

"I've never supported her entertainment career. If this incident makes her quit and return to Harrington International, all the better."

The casual dismissiveness in his text made my blood boil. "Are you seriously acting like a brother right now?"

"I am acting like the future head of Harrington International. The entertainment industry is beneath our family's dignity."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. The blue light of my phone screen felt harsh against my eyes as I typed my next message. "What if Jace helps? He has experience handling this kind of PR crisis."

The reply took longer this time. When it came, the words carried a distinct chill: "You seem quite familiar with Jace's capabilities."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the obvious jealousy in his response. "I'm just trying to help Eleanor. Why won't you let Jace handle this? He's more than capable."

"He's adopted," Lucas replied bluntly. "We keep him away from core family matters to avoid future inheritance disputes. It's better this way."

"So that's how your family treats people?" I finally wrote back. "Sorting them into convenient categories of worth?"

The three dots appeared and disappeared several times before his response came through: "You're oversimplifying a complex family matter."