The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 462

As the elevator doors began to slide shut, the reporters continued to slap the metal panels, their camera flashes blinding and suffocating.

Finally, the doors closed completely, severing the chaotic noise of the outside world. Clive let out a long, ragged breath, collapsing backward against the elevator wall as if all his strength had been drained. His chest heaved violently, but the reporters' shrill accusations still echoed in his mind.

"Clive! Were you really two-timing them?"

"What's the truth about those five women?"

"How will you pay back the three hundred million?"

Clive clutched his head in agony, trying to shut out the voices, trying to deceive himself into believing none of this was happening.

He looked up, and the polished mirrored surface of the elevator reflected his sorry state. He was no longer the dashing, impeccably dressed idol who had left the house that morning. His hair was a mess, his collar had been yanked askew during the scuffle, and a layer of cold sweat coated his forehead.

Clive stared at his reflection and suddenly curled his lip into a mocking smile. Once, he frequented high-end clubs, surrounded by entourages, walking with the wind at his back. Now, he was cornered by debt collectors and gossip mongers at his own doorstep, fleeing like a stray dog.

What a ridiculous joke!

The elevator rose slowly, the floor numbers ticking up one by one until it reached his penthouse.

"Clive!" Josiah's voice exploded from the speaker. "What the hell have you been doing in the entertainment industry all these years? The family is at a critical juncture, and you're out there causing scandals? Who do you expect to wipe your ass this time?"

Josiah's furious shouting echoed through the empty, silent apartment. Clive swallowed hard, his voice hoarse. "Bro..."

"Don't call me that! I don't have the energy to be a big brother to you people right now!" Josiah ranted.

The Sloan family had been bleeding money recently, their projects and investments snatched away by unknown competitors. Ever since Tamara married into the Sherwood family, nothing had gone right for the Sloans.