Chapter 6 - The Public Spin
Ethan shifted his gaze to the center monitor.
On the screen was Madison Montgomery, broadcasting live to over three million followers across multiple platforms.
The setting was Eleanor’s dimly lit antique living room. Madison sat on an upholstered velvet couch, wearing a simple gray cashmere sweater, completely devoid of makeup. Her eyes were red and swollen—artfully dabbed with tears—and she held a tissue against her trembling lip.
"I... I never thought I would have to make a video like this," Madison began, her voice quivering with theatrical precision. "Tonight was supposed to be the happiest night of my life. My engagement celebration. But sometimes, behind closed doors, the men you think are protectors turn out to be monsters."
Comments began cascading down the screen at blinding speed:
*What happened?!*
*OMG Madison are you okay?!*
*Did Ethan hurt you?!*
*#JusticeForMadison*
"Ethan Vance showed his true colors tonight," Madison continued, sobbing softly into the tissue. "His daughter Sophie had an emotional outburst—she began throwing things, smashing glasses, throwing herself into the pool. My mother and I tried to comfort her, to calm her down safely. But when Ethan came outside... he snapped. He attacked my mother. He shoved her into a table of crystal. He threw me into the mud. He screamed at us in front of two hundred people."
She held up a trembling hand, showing a slight scrape on her wrist—likely from when she collapsed into the floral arch.
"He threatened the guests. He seized people's phones. He is using his billions to silence anyone who saw the truth. I am terrified for my safety, and I am terrified for that poor little girl, who is trapped in that house with an abusive, volatile father. I am announcing tonight that the engagement is off, and my attorneys are filing an emergency protection order."
Within three minutes, the livestream had accumulated over five hundred thousand viewers. Mainstream entertainment news outlets were already picking up the feed, republishing the clips with sensationalized headlines:
*TECH BILLIONAIRE ETHAN VANCE ACCUSED OF VIOLENT RAMPAGE AT ENGAGEMENT PARTY.*
*INFLUENCER MADISON MONTGOMERY SPEAKS OUT AFTER A NIGHT OF HORROR.*
Ethan watched the entire broadcast without blinking.
"She's playing the victim card perfectly," Marcus remarked, his jaw tight. "The media is eating it up. If we don't respond within the hour, the press will be camped outside the gates by sunrise."
"Let them camp," Ethan said softly.
Marcus turned, surprised. "You aren't going to release a statement?"
Ethan leaned forward, his fingers interlacing over the desk. "A statement is what innocent men release when they are on the defensive. Statements invite debate. Statements create 'he said, she said' articles in gossip columns."
"Then what are we doing?"
Ethan’s eyes flared with a lethal, calculated light. "We aren't releasing a statement, Marcus. We are releasing the evidence. All of it. The 4K phone angles from her friends. The audio logs from the nursery. The intercepted emails about stealing Sophie’s trust fund. We will construct a narrative so airtight, so devastating, that there won't be a single stone left for Madison Montgomery to hide under."
"When do we launch?" Marcus asked.
Ethan checked his watch. It was 3:15 AM.
May you like
"At 8:00 AM sharp," Ethan replied. "Right when the morning television shows go live. Right when Wall Street opens. Right when Madison thinks she has won the news cycle."
***
