Layla's POV
It started with a scream.
Not mine—Luna's.
"LAYLA!" she shrieked the second I picked up. "Your stocks—your company—everything's tanking! Everything is going to hell!"
My heart dropped.
One second ago, I was just standing in my bedroom, brushing out my hair, thinking about breakfast and maybe going on a walk with Lily. And now, Luna's voice was ripping through my ears, each word hitting like a match tossed into gasoline.
"What do you mean 'everything's tanking'?" I demanded, already fumbling for my laptop. "What happened?"
"There's a new competitor," she rushed out. "They came out of nowhere. Layla, I've never seen anything like this. They're called Eira Skin, and they're copying us—literally everything. And they're accusing us of using synthetic chemicals."
My fingers flew across the keys as I pulled up our dashboard and financials.
My breath left my lungs.
The screen was drenched in red.
Revenue was plummeting—down 47% in less than 48 hours. Our conversion rates were tanking. Return requests were flooding in. Google searches for Vallis Luxe were being overridden by smear articles and clickbait headlines.
"Oh my god," I whispered.
"I don't know how they did it," Luna said. "They launched yesterday. One day. One day and suddenly they have full campaigns, thousands of fake reviews, ads targeting our audience. Layla, they're slandering us. And people are falling for it."
"Who owns them?"
"No one knows. It's all private. I even checked corporate filings and domain ownerships nothing links back. It's like they appeared from smoke."
My phone buzzed again.
James.
James – URGENT. CALL ME NOW.
I didn't hesitate.
"James?" I answered, breath still shaky.
"Layla. We need you back in the States immediately."
His voice wasn't his usual polished calm. It was clipped. Tight. Stressed.
"I'm looking at the numbers," I said. "I know it's bad but—"
"It's worse than bad. Our HQ in L.A. is swarmed with press. There are influencers making entire exposés about Vallis Luxe using harmful preservatives. And now there's a federal class-action lawsuit being filed—based on forged documents."
"What?!"
"Someone leaked a fake video showing a 'whistleblower' saying our ingredients came in unlabeled barrels."
"That's a lie! You know that's a lie, James. Everything's certified. I worked day and night with the labs—"
"I know," he said firmly. "But people don't care about facts when fear goes viral. We need damage control, and we need it fast. You are the face of this company, Layla. The board is panicking. The press is devouring this. You have to come back. Today."
I swallowed hard.
Because I wasn't just watching my brand fall. I was watching the heart of everything I'd built be ripped from me. Brick by brick.
"I'll get there," I said, quietly. "I'll be on a jet tonight."
I ended the call just as Lev's voice echoed from downstairs. "Layla—come to the living room. You have to see this!"
I barely had the strength to move, but I dragged myself down the marble staircase, my chest hollow.
The TV room was full—my siblings, my dad, even King. Their faces were pale, eyes glued to the screen.
"…breaking news," the anchor was saying, "as the once-revered beauty empire Vallis Luxe plummets in reputation after a mysterious brand named Eira Skin launched with explosive accusations. Multiple claims suggest Layla Forbes products contain hidden synthetic ingredients, directly opposing her marketed all-organic promise."
"No," I breathed.
The screen shifted.
"From Skincare Queen to Corporate Scandal"
"Is Vallis Luxe A Lie?"
"The Fall of Layla Forbes?"
My name. My face. Splashed across news networks and blogs like a public execution.
My hands were ice.
"This all started yesterday," Lev whispered, glancing at me. "They're saying you've known about this for months."
"I didn't," I said hoarsely. "I didn't know any of this. This is all fake. Someone's manufacturing everything."
Suddenly, the front door slammed open.
Ace stormed in, followed closely by Aster.
"What the hell is happening?" Ace said, running a hand through his hair. "Your market crashed. Your name's trending everywhere."
"This doesn't make any sense," I said. "It's like someone planned this entire thing."
"It's not about what's happening," Aster said darkly. "It's who is making it happen."
I met his eyes.
And felt a sudden cold realization run down my spine.
Someone was behind this. And they knew exactly where to hit me.
My phone buzzed again—this time with group messages.
Olivia: "Layla, we saw the news. Ignore the noise. We're with you. Just checking if you're okay."
Lexi: "People are going crazy with lies. Let us know if you need us to make a statement we're shutting this down."
Aurora: "Sending love. I'm publicly defending Vallis Luxe i know what you built. This won't stick."
A tear escaped before I could stop it.
I hadn't lost everyone. Not yet.
Then the TV anchor dropped another bomb.
"In a shocking turn, customers are coming forward with claims of chemical burns and skin reactions allegedly caused by Vallis Luxe products. Social media is ablaze, and product reviews are flooded with negative posts."
"WHAT?!" I yelled. "That's not true! Our formulas are gentle, lab-tested, organic! They're the purest on the market!"
I grabbed my phone and redialed Luna.
She answered instantly. "Layla—"
"Who is behind this? Who's pushing this narrative?!"
"We still don't know," she said breathlessly. "But it's spreading too fast. We're trying to verify the reviews most are fake accounts. But a few big influencers are jumping on the bandwagon for clicks."
I wanted to scream. Break something. Curl into a ball. Fly back in time and scream louder when I first sensed something off.
Instead, I breathed through my nose. And I made the choice.
"Get my jet ready," I said. "I'm flying back to California tonight. I'm going to fix this and I'm going to destroy the person who started it."
I turned to Ace and Aster. "I need you both to watch over my siblings while I'm gone. Please."
They nodded. No hesitation.
Ace pulled me into a quick, reassuring hug. "You'll win this, Layla. Just don't forget who you are."
Dad walked over and hugged me tighter than he had in years. "You call me if you need anything. I mean it."
"Thank you," I whispered, voice cracking.
Aster spoke, eyes dark and unreadable. "I'll drive you to the jet."
I looked at him, surprised—but nodded.
Ace left to inform the rest of our circle and to keep pushing forward on our missing mom mission.
I packed quickly—essentials only, heart racing. Said goodbye to my sisters and brother, hugged them like it might be the last time. I told them I'd be back soon. Stronger. I tried to believe it myself.
Then I got into Aster's car.
It was quiet for a while. The kind of quiet that said everything we couldn't say out loud.
"You okay?" he asked eventually.
I turned to him. "No. But I'll survive."
He nodded.
"You always do."
As we stopped at a red light, he glanced at me. "Nothing will happen to you. I promise."
I gave him a small nod, trusting him more than I should.
The light turned green.
He pressed the gas.
And then—
CRASH….!
A black SUV came barreling through the intersection.
Slammed into the side of the car with bone-shattering force.
Screams.
Shattered glass.
Metal grinding.
Time slowed.
I saw Aster's face.
Blood.
Then everything went black.
And the last thing I heard… was my name.
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