《Breaking News! The Eldest Miss of the Wen Family Seduces the Heir of the Julian Group to Exact Revenge on Her Former Love》

The accompanying photo was of Zoe and Julian locking eyes at the banquet, maliciously edited to look as if they were filled with mutual affection.

Julian sneered and dialed the public relations department: "Three things."

"First, sue the media that published the false news."

"Second, prepare for a press conference."

"Third," he looked out the window, his voice as cold as ice, "release the things I had you collect earlier."

That afternoon, the elite social circles of New York were turned upside down.

Julian made a rare appearance at a press conference, standing tall and straight in front of the cameras. Reporters rushed to ask questions: "President Julian, regarding the rumors that Miss Wen is using you to take revenge on Young Master Jasper..."

"My fiancee," he interrupted the reporter, his voice soft but resonant, "is not for others to point fingers at."

The venue was in an uproar.

Immediately afterward, the official social media account of the Julian Group released a series of evidence.

The original copies of Susan’s forged Cambridge degree certificate, bank transfer records of her embezzling Wen family resources for personal gain, and even secret recordings of her cursing Jasper behind his back.

Public opinion reversed instantly.

Zoe leaned against the hospital bed, watching the frantic stream of updates on her phone, a slight smile playing on her lips.

The ward door was pushed open. Julian walked in and tossed an even thicker file into her lap.

"You only know how to suffer in silence when you're bullied?" He raised an eyebrow, his words dripping with sarcasm. "Since when did the Eldest Miss of the Wen family become such a coward?"

Zoe flipped through the file and discovered it contained even more detailed leverage on Susan.

It included scandalous photos with her ex-boyfriend and evidence regarding her large-scale gambling debts.

"Is this..." she looked up, her eyes flashing with a cunning light, "President Julian teaching me how to take revenge?"

Julian looked down at her from his height: "Are you going to learn or not?"

Zoe laughed. She picked up her phone and anonymously sent the most explosive materials to major social platforms.

Within an hour, #SusanGetOutOfTheEliteCircle# topped the trending list.

In the boardroom of the Jasper Group, Jasper smashed his tablet to pieces.

"That bitch Zoe!" His eyes were bloodshot. "How dare she frame Susan!"

Lucas frowned while looking at the trending topics: "This evidence doesn't look like it was forged..."

"Shut up!" Jasper grabbed his collar violently. "Susan was framed! It must be a trap set by Zoe and Julian together!"

Jude suddenly spoke: "Julian seems to be planning to acquire a plot of land in the West City recently."

The three looked at each other, instantly understanding each other's thoughts.

"Since they are unjust," Hugo pushed up his glasses, a cold glint flashing in his lenses, "don't blame us for being unrighteous."

That night, the Jasper, Lucas, Hugo, and Jude families simultaneously announced the termination of all cooperation with the Julian Group.

There were even rumors that the four families were uniting with banks, preparing to freeze Julian’s liquid capital.

When Zoe learned of the news, Julian was holding a video conference in his study.

She walked in with coffee and heard him calmly deploying strategies: "Sell our European bonds, pull the funds back... Yes, regardless of the cost."

After the screen went black, the room fell into a terrifying silence.

Zoe placed the coffee in front of him: "Does the Wen family need to help?"

Julian looked up at her: "How do you want to help?"

"I have three mineral deposits under my name," she said softly, "that can be liquidated at any time."

Julian was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "Zoe, do you know what this means?"

Julian’s gaze was like a sharp blade, piercing straight into Zoe’s eyes.

Only one desk lamp was on in the study, and the dim, yellow light cast a sharp, golden rim around his silhouette.

Zoe raised an eyebrow, her fingertips lightly tapping the rim of the coffee cup: "What does it mean?"

"It means that from today on," Julian said, word for word, "in the eyes of the outside world, the Wen family and the Julian family will be completely bound together." He narrowed his eyes. "If you were just trying to anger Jasper, there was absolutely no need to go this far."

The coffee cup was set down heavily on the table.

Zoe was almost laughing with rage.

She had even taken out the most valuable mineral deposits under her name, and Julian was still doubting her motives?

Chapter 13

This momentary silence led Julian to misunderstand something.

He straightened up, his eyes turning cold instantly: "I don't need your charity."

"Charity?" Zoe stood up and slapped a file onto his chest. "Doesn't President Julian think too little of yourself?"

Julian caught the file as it slid down and was stunned as soon as he opened the first page.

This was a transfer agreement for the property rights of three diamond mines the Wen family owned in Africa, already stamped with Zoe’s personal seal.

"This is not charity," Zoe turned and walked toward the door, her high heels clicking crisply on the marble floor. "It is trust."

Her hand rested on the doorknob; she suddenly turned back, mimicking Julian’s tone from the ward back then: "You shouldn't let me lose, right?"

Julian stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly hummed with a laugh: "Of course not."

After the door closed, the study returned to silence; Julian sat in his chair for a long time without moving.

He flipped through the file carefully; every page was signed with Zoe’s name, and even the notary’s seal was stamped.

This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision, but a prepared one.

The phone suddenly vibrated; the special assistant sent a message: [President Julian, the four big families have united with three banks; tomorrow they will initiate a freeze application for our liquid funds.]

Julian’s gaze rested on the valuation figure on the last page of the file.

It was enough to fill all the funding gaps of the Julian Group.

He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window; the city lights shone brightly in the night.

A year ago when he left New York, Zoe was still chasing behind Jasper;

And now...

It was too abnormal.

Julian dialed a number: "Re-investigate all of Zoe’s movements in the past six months, especially between her and Jasper... No, focus on whether she has had contact with anyone from Switzerland."

After hanging up, his fingers rubbed the edge of the file unconsciously.

Reason told him this was likely a trap, but when he remembered Zoe’s bright eyes when she said "trust"...

"Damn it." He cursed under his breath and loosened his tie.

Early the next morning, a massive earthquake erupted in the financial circles.

Just before the four big families united with the banks to freeze Julian’s assets, a certain Swiss consortium suddenly announced an investment of 5 billion into the Julian Group.

What was even more shocking was that this capital was transferred through the channels of the Wen Group.

Once this news broke, Jasper was furious in the boardroom: "Investigate! Investigate clearly what Zoe and Julian are up to!"

Meanwhile, Zoe was sitting leisurely in the CEO’s office of the Julian Group, flipping through this morning’s financial headlines.

"Satisfied?" Julian pushed the door open, followed by a team of assistants carrying files.

Zoe shook her phone: "President Julian’s methods are excellent; in one day, you’ve turned the four families' encirclement into a joke."

The assistants retreated tactfully.

Julian walked over to her and suddenly leaned over, bracing his hands on either side of her chair, trapping her in that small space.

"Why?" He looked straight into her eyes. "Those mines were your dowry left by your mother."

Zoe smelled the faint ambergris on him, mixed with the bitterness of coffee from a sleepless night.

She tilted her head slightly, her red lips almost grazing his chin: "Because I believe you will turn them into even more dowries."

Julian’s pupils contracted slightly.

Just then, the office door was pushed open suddenly.

"Julian! What do you mean by this?!" Jasper stormed in angrily, but froze when he saw their intimate posture.

Zoe clearly felt Julian’s muscles tense.

She pushed him away with a light laugh and straightened her dress: "Young Master Jasper, the habit of entering a door without knocking is not a good one."

Jasper’s face was livid: "Zoe, do you think he is sincere? Do you know Julian is using you? He doesn't like you at all!"

Julian stood up leisurely and casually adjusted his cuffs: "For President Jasper to come to my company early in the morning just to say this nonsense?"

"Do you think it's over just because you won this round?" Jasper sneered. "The good show has only just begun."