Chapter 1071

It was almost impossible for an outsider with humble origins and no local ties to suddenly become a leading mayoral candidate, let alone hold such a commanding lead. Clearly, something didn't add up.

Haven Net had achieved its objective. The Tarthy City citizens were outraged, and Gerard's reputation quickly became irredeemable.

Gerard was at a loss from the overwhelming backlash. For years, he had carefully maintained a low profile, deliberately hiding traces of his past, including the truth about the Cadwallader family. Thus, he couldn't fathom who had managed to dig up so much dirt on him.

As Gerard scrambled for a way to manage the crisis, an even more explosive revelation hit the public-one capable of destroying him completely. Once again, Haven Net was behind it.

This time, the report accused Gerard of accepting bribes from the head of the Trevell Group and engaging in corrupt dealings that benefited both parties. Accompanying the report was a crystal-clear video captured by a hidden camera.

In the footage, Gerard appeared with several women, arms draped around them as they entered the most exclusive suite in a luxury hotel. He was wearing the exact same suit he'd worn earlier that day during a campaign event. However, the serious, statesmanlike image he had projected was gone, replaced by a sleazy look.

The video sent shockwaves through Tarthy City. The citizens were furious. Many found it hard to believe that the man who once seemed principled and dignified could be hiding such an unscrupulous side.

A few of Gerard's die-hard supporters refused to believe it was real. They insisted it had to be a setup. And yet, the more people thought about it, the more everything started to make a strange sort of sense.

Winona had always portrayed herself as a charitable ambassador but behind closed doors, her behavior was anything but. She was arrogant, self-entitled, and abused others.

As the saying went, "Like father, like daughter". Winona's misconduct might have been shaped by her father's character. Perhaps Gerard wasn't the man of integrity he claimed to be either.

With both online and offline outrage rising to a fever pitch, Gerard found himself gripped by fear. He began to question everything. Where had he gone wrong? Where had the damning footage even come from?

Gerard had always been cautious. He never visited clubs or entertainment parlors, and he kept his distance from the kind of women.

And yet, the man in the video looked just like him. He was even wearing the same suit Gerard remembered wearing that day. But still, Gerard was certain that he hadn't done it.

So then, who was the man in the video? And then it hit him.

Gerard remembered he had been invited by Richard to attend a campaign rally.

On his way back, he'd taken a

shortcut through one of Tarthy City's seedier alleys, a known red-light district there a group of prostitutes had surrounded him. He broke free ordered his bodyguards to hold them back, and turned down a narrow lane to escape.

Just as Gerard rounded a corner, a sharp, splitting pain struck the back of his head, and everything went black When he regained Consciousness, his clothes had been removed, and his belongings were gone.

Back then, Gerard had been groggy and disoriented. He assumed he'd been the victim of a simple mugging. Since he wasn't seriously injured, he hadn't reported the incident to the police.

After watching the video exposed on

Haven Net, he felt as if he'd plunged

into an icy abyss. The clothes in the were unmistakably the ones

footage

he had worn that day. And the location of the scandal? A private club owned by Richard.

The realization sent a shiver down his spine. This wasn't a coincidence. It was a carefully planned setup. But who was behind it?

His first suspicion landed on Jack and the Sandalwood Group. Still, he couldn't help but question Richard's involvement. After all, the video had been leaked from one of his establishments.

Yet, none of that seemed to matter anymore. What mattered was that the scandal was the biggest crisis of Gerard's life. He tried to defend himself but no one believed him.