6:00 AM – Iron Brew HQ
Jason stood on the balcony, the wind whipping his hoodie, eyes fixed on the city that still seemed to sleep. But for him, the war never stopped.
Today was the day.
The Iron Brew App went live in 2 hours.
Vanessa stepped out beside him, steaming mug in hand, eyes puffy from lack of sleep. She handed him a drink.
"No sugar, extra bold. Just how your face looks this morning," she teased.
He chuckled dryly. "I should be nervous."
"But you're not?" she asked.
"I'm done being scared of men like Ethan."
Her lips curled in approval. "That's what makes you dangerous."
Jason turned to her, fingers brushing hers as he took the cup. "And you're staying in this fight?"
She looked at him without hesitation. "All the way."
> [Connection with Vanessa Liu: 58%]
[Trust Bond Buff Active: +10% Team Efficiency Today]
---
8:00 AM – Iron Brew App Launch Livestream
Jason stood before three mounted cameras, a local news drone, and over 12,000 live viewers tuning into the stream.
June stood nearby, tablet in hand, monitoring live reactions.
Vanessa handled the press zone, calmly directing influencers and reporters to the branded background.
"Ready?" June asked.
Jason nodded.
She hit LAUNCH.
> [Iron Brew App – STATUS: LIVE]
[Initial Server Load: 28,000 concurrent users]
[Immediate Purchases: $18,320]
[Subscription Plan Uptake: 4,201]
[Iron Points (Loyalty Currency) Introduced]
Jason took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"This isn't just coffee. This is freedom. Freedom from overpriced chains, from faceless corporations, from fake 'local' brands hiding behind billionaires."
He raised a cup.
"Iron Brew is the future—built by the streets, powered by passion."
Chat flooded with emojis, cheers, and gifs.
> [Trend Ranking: #2 – "Jason Chen" / #IronBrewLaunch]
[Viral Modifier Activated]
[New Skill: Hype Tsunami – Converts exposure to sales at 2.5x for 24 hours]
The energy was electric.
Until Vanessa's phone rang.
She answered, face going pale instantly.
"Jason," she said. "You need to see this."
---
8:40 AM – Emergency Broadcast Room
Vanessa plugged her phone into the main monitor. A video was already circulating online—posted by an anonymous account.
Grainy footage.
A voice.
> "Vanessa Liu... former Blaze Financial Strategist. Fired for alleged embezzlement and insider trading two years ago. Sealed records. NDA protected. But we have the leaks."
Jason froze.
"No," he muttered. "That's not true—"
The video showed screenshots. A heavily redacted report. A falsified bank slip.
> "This is the woman behind Iron Brew? A fraud, helping a criminal brand rise?"
Jason looked at her. "Vanessa—"
She shook her head. "I swear to you, I didn't steal anything. I was set up by Blaze's senior partners. I took the fall to protect my team."
He believed her. Instantly.
But the internet wouldn't.
> [Public Trust in Brand: -12%]
[Investor Interest: Paused]
[New Risk: Media Crisis]
Jason paced, fists clenched.
"They're coming after you now," he said. "This is Ethan. He's trying to tear us apart."
Vanessa looked away. "Then maybe I should step down. I'm hurting the brand."
Jason grabbed her hand.
"No. You're the reason I got this far. We fight together, or we don't fight at all."
Tears welled in her eyes—but she blinked them away.
> [Bond Deepened – Vanessa Liu: 65%]
[New Trait Unlocked: Fierce Loyalty]
"Then let's burn Ethan's whole empire down," she whispered.
---
12:00 PM – Flash Brew HQ Surveillance Drop
Jason met a trench-coated figure behind an old noodle shop. The ex-CEO who'd contacted him earlier—Reed Yao—slid him a flash drive.
> "This has everything. Ethan's offshore accounts. Shadow payments. Even two bribed FDA reps."
Jason stared at the drive.
"You sure this isn't going to kill you?"
Reed chuckled. "He already did. Now I just want revenge."
> [Mission Updated: Trident Exposure]
[Legal Counsel Recommended: In Progress]
[PR Strike Opportunity: Pending Platform]
Jason looked up at the skyline.
"Time to plan his funeral."
---
2:30 PM – Influencer Damage Control
June set up a second wave of influencer outreach, this time focused on Vanessa's Redemption Arc.
Livestreamers interviewed her directly.
Vanessa stood tall, calm, confident.
"Blaze tried to silence me. Iron Brew gave me a voice again. Judge me on what I build, not what they buried."
The comment sections were torn.
Some still doubted.
But many rallied.
> [Public Sentiment Recovering: -12% ➝ -4%]
[Hashtag: #StandWithVanessa trending at #8]
[Brand Loyalty Impact: Neutralized]
Jason met her backstage afterward.
"You're tougher than most founders I know."
She smiled, brushing his cheek. "And you're not as bulletproof as you pretend."
He leaned into her touch.
Almost kissed her.
But then his phone vibrated.
New Message:
> "Tomorrow. 8PM. National Broadcast. I'm ending this. – Ethan."
Jason's heart thumped.
A national broadcast?
He opened the system.
> [Event Incoming: Ethan Quan vs. Jason Chen – Final Offer: Televised]
[Options: Accept Debate (High Risk, High Reward) or Decline (Reputation -15%)]
[Potential Reward: Nationwide Support, Investor Flood, Trident Collapse]
Jason stared at Vanessa.
"We're doing it."
---
7:00 PM – Jason's Private Office
He reviewed the exposure files Reed gave him.
Wire transfers. Fake vendors. Insider manipulation.
Enough to ruin Ethan, permanently.
But it wasn't enough to just leak it.
He had to time it.
He had to break Ethan live, while the world watched.
Vanessa entered, silent for once.
She placed a worn locket on the desk.
"My mother gave this to me before she passed," she said. "Said it would remind me to fight like I mattered."
Jason looked at the locket, then at her.
"You do matter."
Their eyes met again—familiar, heavy.
This time he didn't pull away.
He kissed her—firm, slow, honest.
When they parted, she whispered, "If we lose everything tomorrow, I don't regret this."
Jason held her close.
"Then we're already winning."
---
Final System Status – 11:58 PM
> Iron Brew App – Total Downloads: 48,020
Total Revenue Today: $71,300
Investor Watchlist: 5 High-Tier Funds Pending Decision
Current Risk: Ethan's Live Broadcast and Legal Trap
Recommended Action: Prepare Evidence Drop During Ethan's Broadcast
Jason stared at the screen.
Tomorrow, it would all come to a head.
He could destroy Ethan.
Or lose everything he built.