Chapter 3 - The Digital Dismantling
"You," Gabriel said, his voice terrifyingly polite. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to. "You are the one who finds amusement in the humiliation of others."
Madison blinked, attempting to summon her usual bravado. "Who are you? Are you her husband? Because she’s a—"
"I am the man who owns the building this restaurant sits on," Gabriel interrupted, his gaze never wavering. He pulled out his phone. "And I am the man who happens to own the equity in the firm that manages your primary sponsorship deals."
Madison laughed, a thin, brittle sound. "You're bluffing."
Gabriel tapped his screen twice. He held the phone up, showing her a single, live-updating interface. He spoke into the phone, "Terminate the contract. Pull the ads. Issue a statement that we do not associate with liability risks."
Within seconds, the silence in the room was pierced by the chime of Madison’s phone. Then another. Then a flurry.
She looked down at her screen. Her eyes widened. Her follower count began to drop—thousands at a time. The PR firm managing her image sent a notification: Contract Terminated. Remove all branding immediately.
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"What... what did you do?" she whispered, her voice losing its edge.
"I didn't do anything," Gabriel said, turning back to Claire. "I simply allowed you to face the consequences of your own character. People don't follow you for your personality, Madison. They follow you for the lifestyle I just took away."
