The Skyline Villa gala was a circus of Westfield's elite, and Monica Vance, Vortex Media's CEO, was soaking up the spotlight like she'd just dropped a Grammy-winning diss track. "Monica, you're slaying!" a tech heiress gushed. "Looking like a billion bucks!" another CEO chimed in, practically bowing. Everyone knew Monica had a $5B mogul, Victor Lang, in her pocket, and her smear campaign against StarPulse Entertainment was the talk of the town. Vanessa Steele, her sidekick and Ethan Black's ex-employee, trailed her, smirking like she'd won the lottery.
Meanwhile, Ethan and Claire Hudson, StarPulse's COO, were getting the cold shoulder, their corner of the gala quieter than a library during finals. The #CancelStarPulse X trend, fueled by Vanessa's viral videos accusing Ethan of being a shady CEO, had turned them into social pariahs. "This is brutal," Claire muttered, sipping a mocktail. "They're acting like we're patient zero." Ethan, unfazed, scanned the room. "Let 'em gossip. They'll be eating their words soon."
Monica, spotting Ethan, couldn't resist. She sashayed over, Vanessa in tow, her grin sharper than a TikTok filter. The crowd parted, sensing drama. "Well, if it isn't Claire Hudson," Monica purred. "Still cleaning up Ethan's messes?" Claire forced a smile, biting back a retort. "Monica, always a pleasure."
"And this must be the infamous Ethan Black," Monica said, feigning surprise. "StarPulse's new golden boy. Gotta say, Ethan, thanks for firing Vanessa. She's a superstar at Vortex now. Without you, we wouldn't be crushing it." Vanessa flicked her hair, adding, "Yeah, Ethan, big thanks. Getting canned was the best thing that ever happened to me. Shame your company's circling the drain."
The crowd snickered, X posts spiking: #StarPulseBurn at 400K likes. Claire's jaw tightened, but Ethan just smirked. "Glad you're thriving, Vanessa. But maybe ease up on the fake news. My lawyers are bored and looking for a hobby." Monica laughed, undeterred. "Oh, Ethan, keep dreaming. Vortex is untouchable. Enjoy your 15 minutes." She spun away, Vanessa tossing a smug wink, as the crowd buzzed with anticipation of StarPulse's downfall.
Tom Bradley, StarPulse's loyal logistics ally, pulled Ethan aside. "I've got a plan to counter this," he whispered. "A press release tying Vortex to shady ad deals. It's thin, but it might shift the narrative." Ethan nodded, settling into a quiet corner with Tom to strategize. His phone buzzed—a Monthly Pay $3,000, I'm the World's Richest game alert:
[Challenge: Flip the Gala Narrative. Crush Vortex's Smear Campaign.]
[Reward: $30M Cash + Syndicate Dirt on Victor Lang]
[Accept? Y/N]
Ethan hit Yes, adrenaline surging. Monica and Vanessa's stunt, tied to Lucas Kane's Syndicate link from Chapter 39 and Victor Lang's backing from Chapter 40, was a coordinated hit. This gala was his chance to turn the tables.
The room shifted as Victor Lang, the $5B real estate titan, strutted in, commanding instant respect. Monica and Vanessa bolted to his side, fawning like groupies at a rock concert. "Victor, you're our hero!" Monica gushed, crediting his influence for Vortex's smear success. Victor waved them off, his eyes scanning the crowd. "Small potatoes," he said. "My real focus is tonight's VIP—a kid with serious connections. Monica, you brought Vanessa to charm him, right?"
Monica nodded, eager. "Vanessa's perfect for it. Who's the guy?" Victor started to answer, but a new figure entered—a cocky young man in a tailored suit, radiating untouchable vibes. Victor's face lit up, and he signaled Monica. "That's him." They hurried over, Vanessa primping her hair. "Lucas Kane," Victor greeted, voice dripping with deference. "Westfield's rising star."
Monica and Vanessa echoed, "Mr. Kane, pleasure!" Lucas, heir to Kane Enterprises, gave a curt nod. Victor introduced them, then pulled Monica aside, leaving Vanessa to work her charm. "Lucas is William Kane's son," Victor whispered. "Kane Enterprises is a $10B empire. If Vanessa wins him over, we're golden." Monica's eyes gleamed—Lucas was their ticket to the big leagues.
Vanessa batted her lashes. "So, Lucas, what's your thing? Big into… tech?"
"Cars," Lucas said, bored, checking his phone. "Racing, mostly."
"Oh, same!" Vanessa lied, clutching at straws. "Love a good speed vibe. Maybe you could take me for a spin?" Lucas ignored her, his eyes suddenly locking onto something across the room. His face broke into a grin, and he ditched Vanessa mid-sentence, striding away.
"What the—" Vanessa stammered, chasing after him. Monica and Victor, trailing behind, exchanged confused looks. "Where's he going?" Monica hissed. Lucas stopped in front of… Ethan Black, who was mid-chat with Tom.
"Yo, Ethan, my man!" Lucas boomed, clapping Ethan's shoulder like they were frat bros. "Didn't know you'd be here, Money King!"
The gala froze. Vanessa's jaw hit the floor. Monica's wine glass nearly slipped. Victor's eyes bugged out. Money King? The crowd whispered, X exploding: #EthanBlackTwist at 500K likes. Vanessa squeaked, "Did he just call him… Ethan?" Monica grabbed her arm, hissing, "What the hell is going on?"
Ethan, unfazed, grinned. "Lucas, what's good? Thought you were still practicing those drifts I taught you."
"Man, I'm trying," Lucas laughed. "But you're the drift god. Don't make me call you Sensei Black."
The room spun for Monica and Vanessa. Lucas Kane, William Kane's son, was fangirling over Ethan Black? The guy they'd smeared as a nobody? Victor's face paled—he knew Lucas's dad was a $10B titan, untouchable even to him. Claire smirked, whispering to Tom, "Told you Ethan's got tricks."
Vanessa, recovering, stammered, "Lucas, you know this guy? He's… he's the StarPulse creep!" Lucas raised an eyebrow, turning to Ethan. "Creep? Nah, this dude's a legend. Smoked me in a race last week, $26M Koenigsegg Agera. You're barking up the wrong tree, lady."
Monica's stomach dropped. She'd banked on Ethan being a nobody, but Lucas's endorsement flipped the script. Victor, sensing disaster, pulled her aside. "Delete those videos. Now," he barked. "And stop the smear campaign. Ethan's connected—way more than we thought."
Monica fumbled her phone, texting her team: Pull the #CancelStarPulse vids. Emergency. She turned to Victor, panicking. "I'll apologize to Ethan. Maybe offer a partnership. We can fix this, right?"
Victor shook his head, grim. "You apologize. I'm not touching this. Ethan's got Lucas Kane calling him 'Money King.' That's not random. He's got pull we didn't see coming."
Vanessa, trembling, realized her videos had backfired. "I… I didn't know," she whispered, visions of lawsuits dancing in her head. Her X notifications blew up—fans turning on her, #VanessaLied trending at 200K likes.
Ethan, meanwhile, leaned back, enjoying Lucas's hype. "So, Lucas, you crashing my gala or what?"
"Nah, just here to bow to the king," Lucas said, winking. "Yo, let's grab a burger after this. My treat."
Before Ethan could answer, Victor's phone rang. His face drained of color as he saw the caller ID: William Kane, Lucas's dad. "Y-yes, Mr. Kane?" Victor stammered, stepping away. The call lasted 30 seconds, but Victor's hands shook as he hung up. He shot Ethan a look—fear, not arrogance.
Ethan's phone buzzed—a game alert:
[Challenge Complete: $30M Credited. Syndicate Dirt: Victor Lang's Offshore Accounts Exposed.]
Ethan grinned, pocketing his phone. Monica and Vanessa were scrambling, Victor was spooked, and Lucas was his hype man. The gala was his now, but the Syndicate's shadow loomed larger. Vanessa's smears were dead, but Sophia Winters, still MIA, and Olivia Harper's Vortex leak from Chapter 39 meant the real fight was just heating up.