Chapter 3 - The Smear Campaign
By Tuesday, the Stone family machinery was moving. Richard Stone wasn't just a bully; he was a wealthy, corrupt union boss who had bought half the city council. Knowing they couldn't touch us physically at the safe house, they went for our reputation.
Articles popped up in the local tabloids and on Facebook. “RETIRED GOVERNMENT WORKER HAS MENTAL BREAKDOWN, ORCHESTRATES SWAT RAID ON IN-LAWS.” The narrative was expertly spun. Mark posted a tearful video on Instagram, playing the victim, begging for the safe return of his son from his "paranoid, unhinged mother-in-law."
"They're destroying us online," Sarah said, scrolling through the comments, tears welling in her eyes. "People are taking his side. His friends are calling me a liar."
I closed her laptop. "PR is for politicians, Sarah. We are not running for office. We are going to war. While they are busy managing their image, we are going to manage their destruction."
I set up a secure command center in the safe house dining room. I didn't need a gun; I needed a laptop and my old network. I called in favors from forensic accountants at the Treasury Department, analysts at the FBI, and old informants from the shipping yards.
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Richard Stone’s wealth didn't come from union dues. It came from smuggling. If they wanted to play dirty in the family courts, I was going to nuke their entire financial empire.
"He likes to throw children against walls," I muttered, hacking into the Stone logistics server. "Let's see how he likes being thrown into a federal penitentiary."
