Chapter 175

Derek Langley's past was laid bare for all to see.

In his youth, he'd been a street thug, loafing around and stirring up trouble.

His sister sold vegetables at the market. His brother-in-law was a butcher who couldn't stand his behavior any longer and shoved him into the slaughterhouse.

That butcher's knife stayed in his grip for four long years.

When the bloodstained work photo surfaced online, the internet erupted.

"Is this...CEO Langley?"

"Lowell Entertainment has lost its mind letting someone like him run the company!"

"I'm sick. That blood on his hands—"

The comment section exploded.

No one could connect this foul-smelling butcher to the polished entertainment mogul in designer suits.

"Investigate! We need the full story!"

"Rumor has it Emily Lowell personally promoted him..."

"Is Emily blind?"

Netizens feverishly dug for dirt.

Derek stared at his phone, sweat beading on his forehead. He dialed his niece's number, but only got a busy signal.

"Sir, what do we do?" His assistant trembled.

"Release a statement! Say the photo was photoshopped!"

The statement was immediately mocked.

"Think we're idiots?"

"His old slaughterhouse coworkers already confirmed it's real!"

Then Julian Lombardi's call came through.

"Sir! That bitch Scarlett has footage of me and Vanessa—"

"Noted." Derek suddenly smiled. "Perfect distraction material."

He hung up, eyes darkening.

"Draft a press release. Say Julian sexually harassed actresses and we're investigating."

The assistant froze. "But Julian's our ally..."

"Ever heard of sacrificing a pawn to save the king?" Derek crushed his cigarette. "Besides, he's always been dirty."

That afternoon, Julian's cheating scandal dominated the trending charts.

The internet instantly shifted its focus.

Watching the stock prices soar, Derek grinned—the same grin he'd worn in the slaughterhouse.