Chapter 754

Chapter 754

The scandal between Zoe and Justin continued to stir up a storm on the internet.

Both the Hoffman and Salvador families sent their PR teams to manage the scandal, but it had escalated beyond control. Although the trending topics were removed, the rumors couldn’t be silenced.

When Claire saw the news, she dropped her phone in shock, lost her footing, and tumbled down the stairs. Luckily, the carpet softened the fall, but she was still injured.

Horrified, Ryan immediately rushed his mother to the hospital.

In the hospital room, Claire lay on the bed with an IV drip. She held Ryan’s hand tightly, with tears in her eyes.

“Ryan, what should we do? Zoe is only 22 years old. How will she face the world in the future? How will I face your grandfather and father?” Claire said, unable to hold back her tears.

Ryan sat next to the bed. He tried bitterly to comfort her. “Mom, I will handle this.”

“How will you handle it?! There are photos and even videos of them! Your sister is not married yet. Now that this scandal has blown up, will any man from a decent family still want to marry her?”

“Zoe is my sister. If anyone dares to speak ill of her, I’ll make them regret it.” Ryan clenched his teeth, his eyes burning with anger.

“Public opinion can destroy one’s reputation! Twenty years ago, our family could do as we pleased in Savrow, and not even the police would intervene. Now, we live in a society governed by law. How can you actually handle this?” Claire cried out, slamming her fists on the bed with all her strength.

Ryan’s expression turned cold. The Hoffman family started off in the underworld. Ryan’s grandfather, Logan Hoffman, had amassed his initial wealth through fights and schemes with his brothers. But as the times changed, Logan cleaned up the family’s image, steering them away from their criminal past.

When Ryan’s father took over as the CEO of the Hoffman Group, the company had mostly shed its shady reputation and focused on legitimate business. However, traces of the family’s old ways remained.

This was a source of conflict between Ryan’s father and uncle. Ryan felt that his father was too lenient and somewhat self-righteous. He believed that if his father had been more assertive, the family’s power would have long been in his hands. His cunning and ruthless uncle wouldn’t have been able to be in control for so long.

“And what about your so-called good friend? The whole thing started because of him, yet he hasn’t come forward to say a word! Does he think he can just act like nothing happened?!”

Claire cried harder, almost fainting.

“Mom, please don’t speak of Justin like that. He’s not that type of guy!” Ryan fervently defended his good friend.

“So many reporters captured this scene. How can he still deny it?!”

“There must be a reason for this. Justin has never shown any interest in Zoe, and he loves someone else. He would never hurt Zoe like that.” Ryan insisted.

With tears in her eyes, Claire bitterly exclaimed, “Zoe is your sister! She’s been wronged, but you’re defending an outsider!”

“Mom! I…”

“Now, there’s only one way to solve this. We have to make Justin take responsibility for Zoe!”

Ryan’s expression darkened. “Take responsibility? What do you mean by that?”

“I’ll get discharged from the hospital as soon as possible. I’m going to propose an arranged marriage for Zoe and Justin!”

“You can’t be serious! Even if you forced him, Justin wouldn’t marry Zoe!” Ryan shot up from his seat, shouting in anger.

“It’s not up to him to decide.” Claire’s eyes turned cold, instantly transforming from her usual frail appearance. “A man must take responsibility for his actions! If he refuses to marry Zoe, he’ll be going against our entire family. Even if I don’t take any action, do you think your grandfather will ignore this? Don’t think the Hoffman family won’t intervene just because he’s Gregory Salvador’s son!”