The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

"Steven has no morals!"

...

As night fell, the story gained momentum online. Soon, everyone following the news became aware of the shocking events that had unfolded in Steven's household.noveldrama

Zachary, who was accused of deliberately provoking Jessica with a phone call, swiftly presented evidence to clear his name. The proof came in the form of home surveillance footage from the past thirty days.

The video revealed that Zachary had locked his phone away in a small cabinet at home since last month. It had remained there, untouched, ever since.

This revelation exposed the allegations against Zachary coercing Jessica as a complete hoax. The public started chastising Steven.

"Good grief. Is Steven a dimwit?"

"How can someone be so gullible? He listens to every word his mistress says without a shred of doubt!"

"Exactly! It's bad enough to believe her, but to charge in and strike his son without even asking questions?"

"My heart broke watching that poor boy collapse to the ground!"

"Have you seen the medical report? The injuries are severe."

"And now there's footage of Steven being arrested. This story is undeniably true!"

As the criticisms mounted, so did the public's outrage. Everyone struggled to comprehend how an adult could harbor such vicious intent toward a child, let alone his own son.

Harry looked at Zachary, his eyes widening. "He really laid hands on you?" Zachary nodded and replied, "How else do you think my face got so swollen?" Harry's anger flared. Recently, Steven had severed ties with Zachary. By all accounts, they should be strangers now. What right did Steven have to strike Zachary?

Harry rose, fists clenched. "I'll go teach him a lesson right now!"

Zachary grasped his hand, holding him back "No need. I've already exacted my revenge." A slight smirk played on Zachary's lips as he continued, "This time, he'll pay dearly for his actions."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, unconvinced.

"Absolutely," Zachary replied, a hint of pride in his voice. "I never make empty promises."

As more evidence surfaced online,

the public learned that Steven had abandoned his son, neglecting to provide child support for several months. All his earnings went to his mistress.

The backlash was swift and severe. People's outrage turned into active boycotts against the Pelham Group.

"What a despicable CEO!"

"Their company deserves to go bankrupt!"

...

Steven emerged from the police station to find his phone inundated with missed

calls. Frowning, he muttered, "What's going on?"

"Steven, you better explain yourself! What's all this about?"

Bewildered, Steven asked, "Explain what?"

Realizing Steven was oblivious, the caller suppressed their anger and said, "Check the news online first."

Steven quickly scanned the web, finding his name plastered across headlines about abusing his son. He blurted, "I hit him because he was being vicious!"

The caller, a high-ranking executive at Pelham Group, retorted sarcastically, "You mean when he allegedly persuaded your mistress to abort?"

"Since you know about that, you shouldn't be taking Zachary's side!" Steven exclaimed.

The executive's voice dripped with disdain. "Zachary has provided evidence proving he didn't do that."

"What?" Steven asked, caught off guard.

The executive snapped, "He has no phone or smartwatch. He recently got a phone, but he locked it away. How could he possibly contact your mistress? How could he have said these things to her?"