The rumor mill hit Aiden like a freight train on a Monday morning. Walking across campus, he noticed the stares, heard the whispers. By the time he reached the business building, his phone was flooded with messages from concerned friends and curious acquaintances.
Marcus caught up with him, tablet in hand, face grim.
"Dude, you need to see this."
A social media post from Jessica, his ex-girlfriend, had gone viral within the university's network: "People asking about Aiden's sudden wealth? Drug money. I dated him, I know. Be careful who you trust."
Below it, she'd posted screenshots of fabricated "text conversations" suggesting illicit activities. The comments section was a dumpster fire of speculation and judgment.
Aiden's jaw clenched. The system's enhanced emotional control kept him from reacting visibly, but inside, anger burned white-hot.
"There's more," Marcus said, scrolling. "She's been giving interviews to the campus newspaper, some local blogs. She's painting herself as the ex who escaped a dangerous relationship."
"She's lying."
"Obviously. But mud sticks, man. People love a scandal."
Aiden's phone rang. It was Victoria.
"I saw the posts," she said without preamble. "This is defamation. You have grounds for legal action."
"I don't want to make it bigger by fighting it."
"Sometimes silence looks like admission." Her voice was firm but supportive. "You need to control the narrative."
After hanging up, Aiden received a text from an unknown number: Your ex is being paid. Trace leads to Malcolm Zhang's shell company. - J
Jade. The mysterious hacker who'd warned him about The Society. Apparently, she was monitoring his life more closely than he'd realized.
Malcolm was behind this. The business rival he'd embarrassed at the auction had escalated from corporate warfare to personal attacks.
Sophia appeared at his office door, worry etched on her face. "I heard. Everyone's heard."
"It's not true."
"I know." She entered, closing the door behind her. "But Aiden, you need to fight this. Your reputation isn't just about you anymore—it affects your business, the people who work with you."
She was right. The incubator with Victoria, his investments, even his relationship with the women in his life—all of it was vulnerable to this kind of character assassination.
Aiden's phone rang again. This time, it was Isabella.
"Tesoro, I'm at the hospital, but I heard. Tell me what you need."
"I need evidence," Aiden said, an idea forming. "Jessica made a tactical mistake. She fabricated text messages, which means she committed forgery. And if Malcolm's funding her, there's a paper trail."
"I'll make calls," Isabella said immediately. "My family may be controlling, but they have resources. Lawyers, investigators."
"Mine too," Sophia added, overhearing. "My father has connections."
Within hours, Aiden had assembled a response team. Rachel Kim, a brilliant attorney he'd met briefly at a legal symposium, agreed to review the case. Jade worked in the shadows, tracing financial connections between Jessica and Malcolm's network. Marcus coordinated communications, preparing a factual response to counter the rumors.
By evening, Aiden called a press conference in the university's media room. He'd alerted local news outlets, campus publications, and his growing social media following.
When he stood before the cameras, he embodied calm authority—enhanced charisma and genius-level intelligence combining to create an almost magnetic presence.
"My name is Aiden Schols," he began. "Some of you know me as a student. Some as an investor. Today, I'm here as someone whose character has been attacked with lies."
He systematically dismantled Jessica's allegations, presenting bank records showing legitimate investment sources, testimonials from business partners, and most devastatingly, evidence of the fabricated text messages' metadata proving they'd been created days ago, not months in the past as claimed.
"I understand that sudden success invites scrutiny," Aiden continued. "That's fair. What's not fair is deliberate deception designed to destroy someone's reputation. I've asked my legal team to pursue defamation charges, not out of revenge, but to establish truth."
He paused, looking directly into the main camera.
"To those funding these lies—you've underestimated me. To those spreading them—you've been manipulated. And to Jessica—I hope whatever you were paid was worth your integrity."
The press conference went viral within hours. Public opinion shifted dramatically as evidence mounted. Jessica's social media accounts went dark. Malcolm Zhang issued a carefully worded statement denying involvement, but the damage to his reputation was done.
That night, in his penthouse, Aiden stood at the window watching Seattle's lights. Sophia emerged from his bedroom, wrapped in one of his shirts.
"You were brilliant today," she said, wrapping her arms around him from behind.
"I was honest. Sometimes that's enough."
"Not always. But today, yes."
His phone chimed. A message from Isabella: The warrior returns victorious. Proud of you, my love.
Then Jade: Zhang is rattled. Good. Let him fear you.
And surprisingly, Victoria: That was masterful. You're learning to wield power responsibly. Impressive.
Aiden realized that the attack, intended to destroy him, had instead revealed something important: he wasn't alone anymore. He'd built a team, a family of sorts, people willing to fight for and with him.
The system had given him tools for success.
But these people—brilliant, complicated, loyal—they were giving him something far more valuable:
A reason to build an empire worth protecting.