Chapter 35 Blackmailed

Jonas flew into a rage when he saw the pictures. He threw his phone that hit the wall and smashed to the ground. William was trembling with fear. He hadn't seen Jonas lose his cool like this before.

"Ask the PR department to deal with it. I don't want to see this happen on Weibo again."

Jonas took deep breaths and tried to calm down. He had been telling himself that they were helping each other only for personal gains. Jonas knew that the pictures were fake and someone had photoshopped them.

Although Jonas was aware of what had happened, he couldn't shake the images from his mind. He was feeling uncomfortable.

Jonas didn't doubt the potential of the PR department of Soaring Group. They had taken advanced measures to salvage the situation. They published the news as soon as they got the orders from Jonas. The news became popular and there were many positive comments on Weibo.

The paid posters faded in comparison with the news published by Soaring Group. Some people had hired netizens to slander Melinda and had morphed her pictures but Jonas had proved Melinda's innocence.

The situation had taken a dramatic turn and Melinda became the victim. She had won the hearts of people.

Yulia had been blatantly cursing Melinda in her WeChat moments. The truth had come to light now and it was like a tight slap on her face. She posted another piece of gossip on her WeChat moments.

Yulia's phone chimed with a message. "Yulia, do you want to be an agent like me?"

The message was from the friend she had slapped in the face the other day. Their meeting was quite unpleasant and Yulia was hesitant in the beginning.

But her friend continued to lure her by stating the benefits of doing the job. She evasively stated that Yulia needed to invest a substantial amount of cash in the beginning. They were catering to the needs of a high-end market that required sizeable investments.

"Are you sure it's profitable?"

Yulia asked. Her heart was bubbling with excitement. She wouldn't have to depend on her grandfather for money if she could earn it on her own.

"I made more than one hundred thousand dollar last month and I'm just a fresher. I'll make more money in the future,"

Yulia's friend said. She also sent screenshots of her payment. Yulia tried resisting the urge but she felt that it was a great opportunity and didn't want to miss it.

She decided to take a leap of faith and invested all her money in the agency. Days passed by, but she hadn't seen any products so far. Yulia finally understood that she was scammed when she lost all contact with her friend.

Her friend had blocked her in WeChat. She seemed to abandon her. They had been hanging out with her only for the money. Yulia had lost all her money and her friends seemed to leave one after the other. They were not there for Yulia when she needed them.

Yulia finally understood the harsh reality of life. She couldn't stand the betrayal. She didn't have anyone who genuinely cared for her.

Besides, she was going through a tough phase in the Gu family and had no one to talk to. She was all alone and the loneliness was driving her insane

and quickly wore a high-collared dress and applied a subtle coat of makeup.

She blew out a loud breath and went downstairs. Yulia was looking pale and haggard, and Melinda was surprised to see her like this.

"Grandpa, I need some money," Yulia asked hesitantly.

She was embarrassed for the first time to ask for money from Nelson.

Nelson hated people who squandered money and he knew that Yulia was a spendthrift. But he was aware of the problems that Yulia had to face because of her birth. She was his son's illegitimate daughter and everyone insulted her. He always had a soft corner for Yulia and would give money every time she asked.

"Didn't you ask for money a couple of days ago? You eat and stay at home all day. Why do you need so much money?"

Nelson asked coldly.

"Grandpa, I was cheated. They've absconded after swindling my investment. I need one million dollars. This is the last time and I won't ask for more."

Yulia closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't want to tell the truth. Nelson's eyes widened with shock. He couldn't believe that she had wasted so much money because of her stupidity.

"Why do you need so much money? Are you planning to waste this money on yet another scam?" Nelson asked, glaring at Yulia.

Melinda felt that something was wrong. She looked at Yulia's pale, lifeless face. Although Yulia spent money lavishly, she had never demanded a huge amount before.

"Grandpa, just tell yes or no. Are you ready to give the money or not?" Yulia asked impatiently. She was anxious about the photos and didn't have the time to argue with him.

"No, I can't. If you want money, you need to work hard and earn it. Only then will you understand its value."

Yulia's eyes welled with tears. She bit her lip and turned away.

Since Nelson had refused to give the money, Yulia had no choice but to get help from Jonas. She wasn't sure if he would help her out. After all, a million dollars was a lot of money. But she had to somehow arrange the money to prevent the man from posting the pictures online. Otherwise, her life would be ruined forever.