Chapter 17: chapter 17

Despite everything that had happened, the fact that Inaya Desai took full responsibility for the incident completely cleared Nova Entertainment’s reputation. The discussions with HF went smoothly, and they accepted Neil Gulati’s apology. As a result, the position of spokesperson was handed over to Layla Joshi—just as originally planned—since she was also seen as a victim.After this, Layla’s popularity was expected to soar.Nova Entertainment and Layla walked away from the scandal unscathed, while Inaya was left utterly destroyed.In an instant, derogatory terms like "Queen of Hype," "Scheming Model," and "Green Tea Bxxxx Inaya" flooded search rankings. Every search result led to hateful discussions filled with insults and mockery.The AftermathSitting alone in her room, Inaya watched the news, her expression unreadable. She remained calm—because she knew this humiliation was temporary.Soon, the tables would turn.Neil Gulati and Layla Joshi would suffer ten times more than what she was enduring now.However, for now, in the eyes of the public, her image had completely collapsed. Even the staff at the company treated her differently.As she sat quietly, a cleaner nearby suddenly spoke up with a mocking tone."Miss Desai, could you move your precious legs? Can’t you see I’m trying to clean here?"The woman scoffed. "It’s not like you have any shows to attend, yet you still come in every day. My back hurts from having to clean up after you."Inaya’s gaze turned ice-cold.She may have fallen in the public’s eyes, but that didn’t mean she would allow just anyone to trample over her.Without hesitation, she picked up her phone and dialed Neil Gulati’s number, putting the call on loudspeaker so the cleaner could hear every word."Neil, is my status in this company so low that even the cleaning staff feel entitled to insult me?""Get her name and tell HR to dismiss her," Neil responded without a second thought.Inaya hung up and looked directly at the cleaner, her voice sharp."Just because I’m easy-going doesn’t mean you can speak to me however you like. Just because I’m not on the runway doesn’t mean I’m no longer a part of the Desai family. If I wanted to, I could make sure a simple cleaner like you never finds a job again—without even lifting a finger."The cleaner’s face drained of color. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she hurriedly bowed, her voice trembling."S-Sorry, Miss Desai. I won’t ever do it again."Inaya’s expression remained firm. "Even if you hold power over others, you should still treat them with respect. But you? You’re in no position to look down on anyone."She didn’t want to make trouble for the staff, but they needed to be reminded of their place.Just then, her phone buzzed with an SMS from Neil, summoning her to his office.Without another word, she stood up and left.