Chapter 7: The Gatekeepers’ Verdict

Ella slid the thick stack of divorce papers across her glass desk, her red lipstick smudged from too much coffee. “Everything’s airtight. Asset division is fair—you get 70% of the joint account, the penthouse, and full ownership of any future business ventures. No spousal support for him. Attached is every piece of evidence: the texts, the hotel video, the Veridian fraud proof.”

Sophia flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning the legal jargon. In her past life, she’d signed a lopsided agreement that left her penniless. This time, she held all the cards. “Perfect. File them after the banquet. I want him to have his moment of glory before it all comes crashing down.”

Ella grinned. “You’re evil. I love it. What’s next? Hunt down Luna’s loan sharks? Leak her theft record?”

“Not yet,” Sophia said. “Jake’s launching the blog tonight. ‘Upper East Side Insider.’ Anonymous, sleek, just credible enough to make waves. First post is a blind item about the ‘intern’ with fake designer goods and a fake ‘pure’ image.”

As if on cue, her phone buzzed. It was an unknown number. She answered it, her voice steady. “Sophia Reed.”

“Ms. Reed. This is Marcus Hale. From Hale Luxury Tech.”

Sophia’s smile widened. She’d been expecting this call. In her past life, Marcus had been Lucas’s biggest rival—sharp, intelligent, and the only man who’d ever seen her worth. He’d offered her a dream job after the divorce, but she’d turned it down out of loyalty to Lucas. This time, she wasn’t making that mistake.

“Mr. Hale. I’ve been waiting for your call.”

“I heard about Veridian,” he said, his voice warm but sharp. “Lucas never could keep his ego in check. But I also heard it wasn’t an accident. You’re the one who took him down.”

“Let’s just say I had access to information he thought was hidden,” she said, leaning back in her chair.

“I admire that. Resourcefulness. Intelligence. Qualities Lucas never appreciated.” He paused. “I’ve been trying to break into the luxury brand tech space for years. You’re the best in the business, Sophia. I want to partner with you. Launch a consulting firm. Take Montgomery Tech’s clients. Build something bigger than either of us could alone.”

Sophia’s heart raced—not with romance, but with ambition. This was what she’d lost in her past life: her career, her purpose, her chance to shine. “I’m in. Let’s meet tomorrow. 8 AM at the Baccarat Hotel. We’ll talk details.”

“Perfect.” Marcus’s smile was audible. “And Sophia? Welcome back. The industry’s been worse without you.”

That night, at 9 PM, the “Upper East Side Insider” blog went live. The homepage featured a sleek black-and-white design, no byline, no contact info—just a single blind item:

*Blind Item: A certain tech CEO’s “intern” has been parading around NYC with fake Cartier jewelry and a fake “innocent” image. She claims to be working on luxury partnerships, but insiders say she’s nothing more than a gold digger with a penchant for knockoffs. The Upper East Side Gatekeepers have already seen through her act—will she be blacklisted before she even gets a foot in the door?*

The post included a cropped photo of Luna’s I*******m pic, focusing on the fake necklace and misaligned Chanel bag. Within an hour, it had 10,000 views. Luxury brand accounts were sharing it. Socialites were commenting:

- *I know exactly who this is! Lucas Montgomery’s new “intern”!*

- *That fake Cartier is tragic. She thinks we can’t tell?*

- *Blacklist her. Posers don’t belong here.*

Luna saw the blog when her fake friends started texting her links. Panic shot through her—she’d worked so hard to look like she belonged, and now she was being mocked by the very people she wanted to impress. She tried to delete her I*******m post, but it was too late. Screenshots had already spread.

She called Lucas, her voice shrill. “Did you see this? The blog! They’re calling me a poser! Do something!”

Lucas was in the middle of a crisis meeting with his investors. He snapped, “I told you to lay low! Why can’t you just be quiet? This is exactly why everyone thinks you’re a liability!”

He hung up, leaving Luna staring at her phone, tears streaming down her face. She had no idea who was behind the blog. No idea the woman she’d mocked, the woman she’d stolen from, was pulling the strings.

Across the city, Sophia sipped champagne as she watched the blog’s traffic spike. Jake had done his job perfectly. The first phase of her plan was complete.

Now, it was time for the banquet. Time to watch Lucas and Luna’s world burn—once and for all.