Chapter 5 - The Sister’s Collusion
While Brendan and Diane were crumbling under the weight of their financial exposure, Jessica Morrison proved to be made of different, more venomous stuff. Unlike her brother, who panicked, or her mother, who begged, Jessica sought retaliation.
On Thursday morning, a prominent celebrity gossip site published a blind item that was clearly directed at me: “Pregnant Ex-Wife of High-Flying Executive Uses Secret Trust to Ruin Wealthy Family in Vicious Vendetta.”
The article contained fabricated claims suggesting I had faked my pregnancy timeline, manipulated corporate records, and used my position as majority owner to systematically destroy an innocent family out of jealousy over their social standing. Attached to the article were old, cropped photos of me looking tired and disheveled during my early days working as an entry-level analyst.
When Arthur brought the printout to my office, I didn't panic. I simply picked up my red pen and circled the name of the author—a freelance blogger known for accepting cash payments from disgraced socialites.
"Jessica," I murmured, tossing the pen back onto the desk.
"Yes," Arthur confirmed. "We traced the IP address of the original media upload to a private laptop registered at Jessica’s luxury apartment in the marina district. She paid the blogger $15,000 using a wire transfer from a secondary account that hadn't been picked up in the initial freeze."
"She’s trying to create a public relations nightmare to force a settlement," I analyzed calmly. "She thinks that because I value my privacy, I will pay her off to keep my name out of the headlines."
"It’s a dangerous game she’s playing," Arthur warned. "Defamation against a corporate officer of a publicly traded entity can trigger severe civil liability."
"Call a press conference," I instructed Arthur immediately.
Arthur blinked in surprise. "A press conference? Cassidy, you’ve spent six years avoiding the press. You’ve never given a public interview."
"I was avoiding the press when I had nothing to protect except my peace," I said, standing up and walking toward the window, looking out over the city. "Now I have my son to protect. And I will not allow his legacy to be tainted by Jessica’s desperate lies."
Two hours later, the grand press auditorium on the ground floor of the Morrison Global Building was standing-room only. Reporters from major financial journals, national news networks, and local media outlets crammed into the space, buzzing with speculation about the sudden public appearance of the elusive Majority Owner of Morrison Global.
I walked onto the stage dressed in an elegant navy dress, accompanied by Arthur Pendelton and Victoria Vance. I didn't use a podium script. I sat behind the microphone, perfectly composed, looking directly into the flashing camera lenses.
"Good afternoon," I began, my voice carrying clearly through the sound system. "My name is Cassidy Morrison. I am the Chairman and Majority Shareholder of Morrison Global Holdings. I am speaking to you today to address recent false narratives circulating regarding my family and this corporation."
For twenty minutes, I laid out the absolute, indisputable truth.
Behind me, on a massive projection screen, we displayed certified bank records, forensic audit reports, and official corporate registration filings detailing the $2.4 million embezzled by Brendan and Jessica Morrison through Apex Management.
Then, to the complete shock of every journalist in the room, I authorized Arthur to play the security audio recovered from the dining room of the Morrison residence from Sunday night—capturing Diane’s cruel laughter, Jessica’s taunts, and the sound of the ice water splashing across the floor, followed by my calm activation of Protocol Seven.
Gasps filled the auditorium. Camera shutters clicked like a frenzy of mechanical insects.
"I did not destroy the Morrison family," I concluded, my voice firm and unwavering as I looked directly into the lead camera lens. "They destroyed themselves through greed, cruelty, and an arrogant belief that money excuses abuse. Effective today, Morrison Global Holdings has filed a $10 million civil suit for defamation, fraud, and embezzlement against Jessica Morrison, Brendan Morrison, and Diane Morrison. Thank you."
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I stood up, held my head high, and walked off the stage, leaving the press corps in absolute uproar.
That evening, Jessica Morrison’s phone did not stop ringing. But it wasn't reporters offering her money for interviews. It was process servers, corporate lawyers, and federal investigators knocking on her door with arrest warrants for financial crimes and grand defamation.
