Chapter 5

As I held the printed hotel check-in record in my hand, I spoke articulately, my tone measured and overflowing with absolute sincerity.

In an instant, the chat blew up.

The screen flooded with question marks, followed immediately by an avalanche of laughter.

"Three minutes? For real?"

"Holy crap, this is wild! What an apology!"

"This isn't an apology. This is a public execution!"

Before the viewers could react, I pulled up another screenshot—an Instagram post in which Naomi had flaunted her Hermès bag.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Baxter. I shouldn't have questioned the authenticity of your bag. Even though my husband bought that top-tier knockoff for 20 thousand dollars using company funds, his love for you is real.

"I shouldn't have been jealous of your romance, and I certainly shouldn't have pointed out that using corporate funds to buy fake luxury goods is not only potential embezzlement but also embarrassing."

The moment those words left my mouth, half of the netizens who had been calling me outdated flipped instantly.

"Holy hell! The richest man in the city buys counterfeit bags for his mistress? And with company funds?"

"The real kicker is spending 20 grand on a fake! This guy is so easy to fleece!"

"Embezzlement? That could land him in prison!"

I kept flipping through the thick diary in my hands. Every page brought another explosive revelation.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that Ms. Baxter got pregnant because you didn't want to buy protection, Mr. Cooke. That is your private affair, and as an outsider, I shouldn't have chimed in.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have leaked the transfer records showing that you bought a sports car for Ms. Baxter's brother. Even though you misappropriated construction funds and brought the project to a halt for two weeks, I should have been more understanding of your desire to win over your future brother-in-law."

I spoke neither too fast nor too slow, carrying myself with the poise and authority of an ancient matriarch disciplining an erring concubine.

Every single word landed like a blade, cutting straight to the bone while leaving no room for complaint.

After all, I was strictly following the court order, laying out the exact facts of how I had violated their privacy.

By now, Joseph's phone was probably ringing off the hook.

I watched the live viewer count surge past three million, and it was still climbing.

The platform didn't dare ban my stream because I had the written court order. I was simply fulfilling my legal obligations.

On the other side of the screen, Joseph had indeed lost his mind.

As he sat at home with Naomi watching my live stream, his face was as pale as a ghost.

"Hurry! Call the platform! Shut her down! Now!" Joseph roared, throwing his wine glass straight at the TV displaying the stream.

Naomi was trembling uncontrollably. Once the truth about the fake bag got out, she would never be able to show her face in high society again.

However, I didn't stop.

For half an hour, I issued a total of 20 apologies. Every single one was backed by hard, undeniable evidence.

The top trending hashtag, once #BrendaApologizes, was replaced by #BrendaJudgesTheScumbag, #JosephThreeMinutes, and #RichFamilyFakeBag.

Finally, I closed the folder and offered the camera another flawless, elegant smile. "To demonstrate my deep respect for the law and my apologies to you both, I will conduct this apology live stream for 15 consecutive days.

"Today is only day one. At the same time tomorrow, I will continue to expose… Oh, excuse me, to apologize to the two of you. I deeply regret my part in the company's tax violations as well. Tomorrow, I will offer a detailed reflection."

With that, I ignored the flood of comments begging me to stay and ended the live stream.

Looking at the massive amount of tips piling up on the account dashboard, I poured myself a glass of red wine and took a light sip.

The wine was smooth and sweet as it hit my throat.

"First round, absolute victory."