Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 328: Chapter 328

Sophia was in a terrible mood. When Eunice's name flashed on her phone, she answered sharply, "This had better be important, Eunice, or you'll be sorry you called."
Eunice said, "Ms. White, I'm calling regarding Shawn."
Sophia, about to hang up, perked up immediately upon hearing Shawn's name. "Out with it. If this is a joke, you'll be sorry."
Eunice said, "Zoe's been picked up by Economic Crime Division. She won't be out for a while."
Sophia froze, then erupted in mocking laughter. "Zoe actually got arrested? Well, looks like karma finally caught up with her. Serves her right."
Eunice continued smugly, "I orchestrated the whole thing to get her arrested."
Sophia stopped laughing. "You got Zoe thrown in jail?"
"Otherwise, Ms. White, would I even presume to call you? Let's join forces again. This time, to eliminate Zoe for good. And then," Eunice added, "nothing will stand between you and Shawn."
Sophia scoffed, "And why should I trust you?"
"Zoe's problem is the Marlowe Group," Eunice stated. "While she's stuck in Clusia, if we work together to dismantle the company and hit them with every charge we can, she'll never recover."
After hearing Eunice, Sophia saw a real opportunity. It would mean pulling some family strings, which was a hassle. But if Zoe could be arrested, it would be worth it.
Eunice asked, "So, what have you decided?"
"I'll be in touch," Sophia said, then hung up abruptly.
Eunice knew Sophia hadn't given any clear answers, but her words said it all. Looks like this plan had a real shot. Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the outcome.
Sophia hung up and, before speaking to her skeptical parents or brother due to past experiences, immediately sought help from Rick, hoping his connections would be useful; meanwhile, a social media firestorm was brewing.
If people found out that Zoe, the Chair of Marlowe Group, was under investigation for financial crimes, the whole city would explode with gossip.
Her first move was to completely ruin Zoe's reputation. Once her reputation was dragged through the mud, everything else would fall into place.
Leveraging her extensive network, Sophia ignited a social media firestorm overnight, exposing scandals surrounding the Marlowe Group and Zoe, captivating the internet as everyone eagerly awaited the unfolding drama.
The very next day, before Sophia could even speak to her parents, Eric sought her out. "Sophia," he asked directly, "there are rumors online about Zoe being in trouble. Do you know anything about it?"
"Dad, you've heard about it too?" Sophia asked, "It's true about Zoe. She's done a lot of questionable things, but she's very good at covering her tracks. Honestly, she's framed me countless times."
Eric said, "Sweetie, we honestly had no idea she was like that."
"She even threatened me. Anyway, she's not someone to mess with," Sophia lied through her teeth.
Guilt etched on his face, Eric looked at Sophia and said, "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry. We should have trusted you. How can we make it up to you?"
Sophia said, "Marlowe Group clearly has a lot of issues, but with power backing them, if they manage to rise again, it could bring serious damage and a bad influence to our country.
"Mom, Dad, to truly be on the right side of history, we need to unite and expose the Marlowe Group. Uncovering more of their misconduct is the only way to trigger a full investigation and eradicate this societal cancer."
Overwhelmed by Sophia's eloquent arguments, both Eric and Anna now believed their daughter was right. They couldn't stand idly by while these wrongdoers continued to harm society; it was their responsibility to act for the common good.
"Should we inform the Ludwig family as well? Considering Zoe's connection to them," Anna inquired, her voice tinged with concern.
Eric said sternly, "We haven't even settled the score with the Ludwigs for framing our daughter. Forget about Zoe for now; if they're foolish enough to keep backing her, let them crash and burn with the Marlowe Group."
"Dad, Mom, I'll speak with the Ludwigs personally to clear up those old misunderstandings," Sophia said sweetly, appearing eager to make peace, though she secretly intended to further strain Zoe's relationship with them.
As long as things soured between the families, it would directly impact Shawn and Zoe's relationship. Breaking them up completely was the goal, and the Ludwig family held the leverage.
Eric and Anna felt comforted, relieved, and proud of her sensible and mature demeanor. Eric said, "I support you going, but don't go alone; we can't have the White family looking weak."
Anna added, "Yes, bring your brothers with you; that way, if the Ludwig family dares to cause you any trouble, they'll have your back."
"Thanks, Mom and Dad," Sophia said sweetly, relieved that dragging Zoe through the mud had finally cleared her own name. However, convincing her brothers to agree would still require effort.
Even with her parents' approval, Sophia knew it wasn't enough; to truly separate Shawn and Zoe, she needed a powerful ally.
That meant her best bet was the old guard—Rick and his retired military buddies. If they stepped in and put pressure on him, even someone like Shawn would have to choose duty over love.
Just thinking about it made Sophia grin. Zoe would never see it coming; that the one to bring her down would be her own sister. Poetic justice. She had it coming.
As Sophia headed to see Rick, news of Zoe's downfall was already spreading rapidly through the military base.
While Rick, like many veteran officers, preferred face-to-face communication, he remained exceptionally well-informed thanks to his extensive network of contacts who kept him in the loop.
Senior officers huddled together, their faces grim as they scrolled through the inflammatory headlines about Zoe on their phones.
"Rick, you've witnessed the situation. That woman, Zoe, is a complete menace."
"Given Shawn's status, a relationship with someone of questionable background is untenable; now that the situation has reached this critical point, we must prevent them from remaining together."
"Absolutely, we must put a stop to this."
"And we should summon Shawn immediately and address this inappropriate relationship with him directly," Elder Rick asserted, prompting unanimous agreement among the elders, who deemed it an essential course of action.
With the unanimous support of the elders, Rick swiftly sent for Shawn, intending to intervene and prevent him from ruining his future because of Zoe.
Meanwhile, Sophia had already arrived at the military base; Rick, upon learning of her arrival, immediately had her escorted to his office.
The moment Sophia spotted Rick approaching, she jumped up, exclaiming, "Rick, you won't believe what happened. It's a complete catastrophe."
Rick said, "Sophia, compose yourself. As the current heiress of the White residence, such impulsive behavior is unbecoming."
Sophia complained, "It's all because of that Zoe; she's dragged Shawn into a huge mess.
"Social media is exploding right now. Everyone's accusing Shawn of covering for the Marlowe Group, alleging government-business collusion, and the online comments are brutal.
"If this continues, Shawn could be under investigation. Rick, you have to do something."
Rick's eyes clouded with concern. After a pause, he stated, "In this situation, there's only one way forward."
Sophia immediately pressed, "What is it?"
Rick said, "We need to step in and pressure Shawn into cutting all ties with Zoe."