Jonas flew into a rage when he saw the pictures. He threw his phone that hit the wall and smashed to
the ground. William was trembling with fear. He hadn't seen Jonas lose his cool like this before.
"Ask the PR department to deal with it. I don't want to see this happen on Weibo again."
Jonas took deep breaths and tried to calm down. He had been telling himself that they were helping
each other only for personal gains. Jonas knew that the pictures were fake and someone had
photoshopped them.
Although Jonas was aware of what had happened, he couldn't shake the images from his mind. He
was feeling uncomfortable.
Jonas didn't doubt the potential of the PR department of Soaring Group. They had taken advanced
measures to salvage the situation. They published the news as soon as they got the orders from
Jonas. The news became popular and there were many positive comments on Weibo.
The paid posters faded in comparison with the news published by Soaring Group. Some people had
hired netizens to slander Melinda and had morphed her pictures but Jonas had proved Melinda's
innocence.
The situation had taken a dramatic turn and Melinda became the victim. She had won the hearts of
people.
Yulia had been blatantly cursing Melinda in her WeChat moments. The truth had come to light now and
it was like a tight slap on her face. She posted another piece of gossip on her WeChat moments.
Yulia's phone chimed with a message. "Yulia, do you want to be an agent like me?"
The message was from the friend she had slapped in the face the other day. Their meeting was quite
unpleasant and Yulia was hesitant in the beginning.
But her friend continued to lure her by stating the benefits of doing the job. She evasively stated that
Yulia needed to invest a substantial amount of cash in the beginning. They were catering to the needs
of a high-end market that required sizeable investments.
"Are you sure it's profitable?"
Yulia asked. Her heart was bubbling with excitement. She wouldn't have to depend on her grandfather
for money if she could earn it on her own.
"I made more than one hundred thousand dollar last month and I'm just a fresher. I'll make more money
in the future,"
Yulia's friend said. She also sent screenshots of her payment. Yulia tried resisting the urge but she felt
that it was a great opportunity and didn't want to miss it.
She decided to take a leap of faith and invested all her money in the agency. Days passed by, but she
hadn't seen any products so far. Yulia finally understood that she was scammed when she lost all
contact with her friend.
Her friend had blocked her in WeChat. She seemed to abandon her. They had been hanging out with
her only for the money. Yulia had lost all her money and her friends seemed to leave one after the
other. They were not there for Yulia when she needed them.
Yulia finally understood the harsh reality of life. She couldn't stand the betrayal. She didn't have anyone
who genuinely cared for her.
Besides, she was going through a tough phase in the Gu family and had no one to talk to. She was all
alone and the loneliness was driving her insane.
The nights were quiet and gloomy after ten o'clock but there was one street that was brimming with a
raucous crowd.
Yulia was looking ostentatious in her flashy dress and heavy makeup. She completed her look with a
silver bag that was dazzling under the night lights.
Yulia was beautiful and some men whistled in appreciation.
In a bar, she was sitting all by herself in her VIP seat and spoke with everyone who came to hit on her,
even though she was depressed.
The blaring music was deafening but Yulia was enjoying every moment of the hilarity. She felt as if she
had escaped into a new world that was devoid of troubles and worries.
The party became boisterous at eleven at night. Yulia was almost drunk.
"Do you want to have fun, sweetie?" the man who had been accompanying Yulia asked, sweeping his
tongue across his lips.
Yulia squinted at him. Her vision was gloomy. She wrapped her arms across his neck and her face
broke into a lopsided grin. "Let's go," she slurred.
It was dark and no one seemed to care about what the others were doing. The people in the bar were
also like Yulia, who sought solace in the darkness. They drowned their sorrows in their drink and
indulged in debauchery. Yulia soon became addicted to this lifestyle. She didn't feel lonely anymore.
She would go to the bar every night and get completely drunk. She had been seeing the man for the
last few days and seemed to get along with him.
When Yulia walked in the bar again, the man waved at her. She smiled and walked to him. She placed
her bag on the table and downed a glass of wine.
"You are early today," she said.
"I've been waiting for you," the man flirted.
Although the man wasn't handsome, his seductive eyes seemed to trap her. Yulia's heart was
drumming in her chest.
"Isn't it boring to drink wine with green tea every day? Do you want to try something stronger?" the man
asked, arching an eyebrow.
Yulia was aware of the tricky games. She bit her lip and looked at him skeptically.
"Come on guys."
The man raised his hand and motioned the people in the next table to join them. He added a little green
tea to the wine and gave it to Yulia. The smell of alcohol made Yulia sick but she drank it anyway.
She felt as if her throat was on fire.
These people were regular customers in the bar and were heavy drinkers. Yulia was no match for
them. She passed out as soon as she rolled the dice.
"What a wimpy drinker! How dare you play with people like us?"
someone roared with a mouthful of wine. The voice seemed distant as Yulia's head was spinning. She
lost control over her body and landed heavily on the sofa.
"You are lucky, buddy."
The other man clinked glasses with Yulia's acquaintance and winked at him.
The man carried Yulia in his arms. It was before midnight when Yulia sobered up. She saw that the
man's lips were inches apart from hers.
"I will take care of you, honey,"
Yulia was bewitched by the tranquil eyes of the man.
The lonely night, her fussy brain, and the alcohol in her system were driving her crazy. Her body was
screaming for sex.
When Yulia opened her eyes, a piercing pain shot through her head. The room was a complete mess.
She staggered out of the hotel awkwardly. Her body was sore and she slept as soon as she reached
home. The loud beep of the phone woke her up.
Yulia's head was still throbbing and she squinted at the phone. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips
when she saw that the man had sent her a message. But her smile was soon replaced by horror when
she opened the message.
Her heart leaped to her throat and she quickly dialed his number. "What the hell was that?" she
croaked. Her lips quivered as tears streaked down her cheeks.
"I know that the Gu family is wealthy. I'm sure you have enough money to clean this mess. So if you
want the photos back, I want you to transfer one million dollars to my account."
The man had been hanging out with Yulia only to demand a ransom from her. She was left with no
choice but to pay him if she wanted to keep her dignity intact.
One million was not a big amount for the Gu family but Yulia couldn't afford it. Moreover, she had lost
all her money in the scam and was utterly broke.
"You are blackmailing me."
Fresh tears streamed out of her eyes. She regretted drinking and was disgusted with herself. The
pictures had the potential to cause irreparable damage to her reputation. She wanted to throw the
phone and run away but she couldn't. She had to deal with the man. Otherwise, her pictures would be
all over the internet.
"Don't even think of calling the police. I'll make sure to post the pictures before they catch me," the man
said nonchalantly.
He was aware that rich people would protect their name and reputation at all costs. Therefore, he knew
that Yulia wouldn't approach the police. Money had the power to solve problems and he was sure that
Yulia would give him what he needed.
"You fucking bastard!"
Yulia became furious. She didn't have the money but she needed to stop him right away. Her mind was
whirling with all the possibilities.
She sat on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time. She had only one choice. Yulia stood up
and quickly wore a high-collared dress and applied a subtle coat of makeup.
She blew out a loud breath and went downstairs. Yulia was looking pale and haggard, and Melinda was
surprised to see her like this.
"Grandpa, I need some money," Yulia asked hesitantly.
She was embarrassed for the first time to ask for money from Nelson.
Nelson hated people who squandered money and he knew that Yulia was a spendthrift. But he was
aware of the problems that Yulia had to face because of her birth. She was his son's illegitimate
daughter and everyone insulted her. He always had a soft corner for Yulia and would give money every
time she asked.
"Didn't you ask for money a couple of days ago? You eat and stay at home all day. Why do you need
so much money?"
Nelson asked coldly.
"Grandpa, I was cheated. They've absconded after swindling my investment. I need one million dollars.
This is the last time and I won't ask for more."
Yulia closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't want to tell the truth. Nelson's eyes widened with shock.
He couldn't believe that she had wasted so much money because of her stupidity.
"Why do you need so much money? Are you planning to waste this money on yet another scam?"
Nelson asked, glaring at Yulia.
Melinda felt that something was wrong. She looked at Yulia's pale, lifeless face. Although Yulia spent
money lavishly, she had never demanded a huge amount before.
"Grandpa, just tell yes or no. Are you ready to give the money or not?" Yulia asked impatiently. She
was anxious about the photos and didn't have the time to argue with him.
"No, I can't. If you want money, you need to work hard and earn it. Only then will you understand its
value."
Yulia's eyes welled with tears. She bit her lip and turned away.
Since Nelson had refused to give the money, Yulia had no choice but to get help from Jonas. She
wasn't sure if he would help her out. After all, a million dollars was a lot of money. But she had to
somehow arrange the money to prevent the man from posting the pictures online. Otherwise, her life
would be ruined forever.
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