Chapter 8
Dad’s words reassured me, but I couldn’t sleep that night.
I was afraid he might do something reckless for my sake. The light in his study stayed on, and people kept coming and going besides Holden.
I sat in my room anxiously refreshing news sites on my phone. An hour later, bombshell headlines dropped:
[Confirmed! Cohen Group’s CEO Ian Cohen Caught in Explosive Affair With Ling Corp Heiress! Certified Scumbag!]
[Insider Revelation From CEO’s Personal Assistant: The horrifying Abuse Mrs. Cohen Suffered Days Ago Was Ian Cohen Himself!]
[Mrs. Cohen Was Pregnant During The Attack! The Psychopathic CEO Showed No Mercy!]
Within minutes, Ian dominated every news outlet in New York.
Half an hour later, another headline broke:
[Cornered Like a Rat: Ian Cohen Tries to Flee, Gets Beaten by Furious Crowd Outside Cohen HQ!]
The thumbnail showed chaos. I tapped on the video.
And froze.
Ian was wearing a janitor’s uniform, curled up in a corner. A diverse crowd surrounded him, kicking him viciously while screaming.
“You asshole! You tortured your own wife. You killed your child. You don’t deserve to live!”
Ian looked up at his attackers, and for the first time ever, I saw fear in his eyes.
I kept replaying that moment when he looked up. Seeing the once–mighty Ian Cohen broke to this state sent tremors through my body.
So he was just normal people after all…
1 nandad Me with Shame
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Chapter 8
After that video, the media went quiet for a while. In the early morning hours, I refreshed to find a
new headline.
[BREAKING: Ian Cohen and Alleged Mistress Found Dead–Identities Pending Confirmation.]
Minutes later, the story exploded.
[CONFIRMED: Ian Cohen and Veronica Ashton Found Naked, Dead, and Beaten in an Unmarked
Graveyard]
I scrolled through the blurred photos. Despite being censored, I could still make out the naked bodies
of Veronica and Ian.
Two hours later, another update appeared.
[Ian Cohen’s Mother Jumps From Top Floor of Cohen HQ–Head Smashed Beyond Recognition.]
I read and reread these shocking headlines countless times. I don’t know how many times I scrolled through them. My fingers grew numb from swiping.
My clothes were soaked with cold sweat. As I sat there stunned, a knock came at my door.
“Aurora, it’s Dad.”
Looking up, I saw daylight streaming in. I’d been sitting there all night without realizing it.
I jumped off the bed, flung open the door and buried myself in my dad’s embrace.
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