Chapter 3

She was basking in the fact that she never had to lift a finger, and there were always people lining up to fight her battles for her.

I clenched my fists. I knew I couldn't reason with these people.

I swore I'd tear off her phony act. I'd love to see if they'd still rush to shield this monster.

After leaving my parents' house, I thought it over and decided to head to Harbor City Light.

The Gibbs didn't believe a word I said, not just because they were so confident in their own judgment, but also because Angelina had spent years playing the genius, earning their absolute trust.

When Richard saw me, he let out a sigh.

"You and Angelina are sisters, but your parents are so ridiculously biased. You're the real genius, yet they trust that fraud one completely. Honestly, if your folks hadn't used their connections, I'd never have let her work here at Harbor City Light."

Then Richard sighed, "Just as I was texting you, your parents pulled some strings and got the Harbor City Power Tower project started early."

My heart dropped. With construction already underway and my parents rushing things, it'd be up before anyone even realized.

Back when I was in the entertainment industry, Angelina just had to follow me in. But after I got canceled so hard that I couldn't show my face anymore, I quit and started prepping for the civil service exam.

Honestly, I had no clue what she was thinking. She somehow convinced my parents to use their connections and land her a spot at Harbor City Light.

She's addicted to the spotlight; there was no way she could ever actually get any real research done.

"Sir, construction and environmental safety are lifelong responsibilities. If that tower gets built, it's going to collapse the very day it opens. There's a school, a hospital, and residential buildings right next door. If disaster strikes, the casualties will be catastrophic."

In the end, Richard gave in. He put his faith in my warning.

With the clock ticking, all we could do was rush to evacuate the residents near the tower site as quickly as possible.

Despite all the pressure, Richard personally made sure every resident near the tower was evacuated the night before it was finished.

"If nothing happens to the tower, people will say I pulled strings for nothing, and that'll be the end of my career," Richard said.

But honestly, he didn't sound all that bothered.

He'd spent most of his life as a designer before ending up as director. Truth be told, he'd much rather be sketching blueprints than chained to a desk.

But Richard's wish to get back to hands-on design work never came true.

Early the next morning, the newly finished Harbor City Power Tower crashed down out of nowhere.

Every major news outlet was all over the story. Most people had already evacuated, but there were always some stubborn folks who just wouldn't budge.

Thanks to Richard's quick thinking and early rescue team, not a single life was lost.

After the tower collapsed, the whole area had to be rebuilt, and the financial hit was huge.

The story shot straight to the top of the trending list, and everyone online was roasting the designer, saying they must be out of their mind.

Netizen A: [Who would actually use an untested blueprint? Good thing so many people got evacuated, and rescue teams were ready, or Harbor City would've been looking at a massive tragedy.]

Netizen B: [I found out who the designer is. It's Angelina Gibbs, the one who always played the nation's sweetheart online!]

Angelina's BuzzStream comments section blew up in seconds—netizens were flooding in like crazy.

Her name shot straight to the top of the trending list, and the hate just kept pouring in from every corner of the internet.