The world attacked.
Not with weapons.
With words.
The press called the building a cult.
The competitors called it unfair.
The politicians called for investigations.
And Damien smiled.
Because he had been expecting them.
---
The first article appeared on a Monday.
"Moreau's Folly: Billionaire Builds Private Paradise for Lawyers."
The subhead read: "Is this generosity or control? Critics call the building a cult."
Christabel read the article at breakfast.
Her coffee went cold.
Her toast went uneaten.
Damien watched her.
"You're angry."
"I'm not angry."
"You're quiet."
"I'm thinking."
She set down the paper.
"They're calling it a cult."
"I know."
"They're saying we're brainwashing people."
"I know."
"They're saying we're buying loyalty."
"I know."
"Aren't you angry?"
He set down his coffee.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because they're not wrong."
---
She stared at him.
"What?"
"We are buying loyalty. We are building a family. We are creating something that looks like a cult to people who have never had a family."
"That's not-"
"It's the truth." His voice was gentle. "The difference is intention. They think we're doing it to control people. We're doing it to free them."
"I already knew something of this magnitude would happen. Any time any leader or someone tried to shine a light in the world the system and gate keepers come in clutch and destroy it. It starts with been called a cult, then a terriorist assosciation plus with the media they can brainwash the people to believe everything and the people will glady defend their prison wardens and keep system running like it always does ok"
The second article appeared on Tuesday.
"Moreau's Lawyers: The Price of Loyalty."
The subhead read: "Student loans forgiven in exchange for lifelong commitment. Is this justice or indentured servitude?"
Sterling called.
"We have a problem."
"I know."
"The press is turning against us."
"I know."
"The competitors are fueling the fire."
"I know."
"What's our response?"
Damien was quiet for a moment.
"No response."
"Excuse me?"
"No response. Let them talk. Let them speculate. Let them dig themselves into a hole."
"And if they don't?"
"They will."
---
The third article appeared on Wednesday.
"Moreau's Cult: Former Employees Speak Out."
Except they weren't former employees. They were competitors. Pretending. Lying.
Christabel read the quotes.
One person said Damien had threatened their family.
Another said he had forced them to sign away their rights.
Another said the building was a prison, not a home.
"This is lies," Christabel said.
"I know."
"We should sue."
"We should wait."
"For what?"
"For the truth to come out."
---
The fourth article appeared on Thursday.
Not from the press.
From a former student.
Maya.
She had written an op-ed.
"I Was a Barista. Now I'm a Lawyer. Here's the Truth About Damien Moreau."
She wrote about her student loans. Her debt. Her desperation.
She wrote about the interview. The offer. The building.
She wrote about the piano in her apartment. The view from her window. The hope in her heart.
She wrote about Damien. About the man who had given her a chance when no one else would.
She wrote about Christabel. About the woman who had held her hand and called her family.
She ended with this:
"They say Damien Moreau is a monster. They say he's buying loyalty. They say his building is a cult.
They're wrong.
He's not a monster. He's a man who knows what it's like to have nothing. He's a man who built something so that others wouldn't have to struggle the way he did.
I'm not brainwashed. I'm not controlled. I'm not a prisoner. All i know is that a system is set in place to keep people sleeping and easy controlled by robots starting from rat race while increading house ownership and rent with pratically 10% interest in salary. Wake up people its always the same script over and over again. Thank you for having me".
I'm free.
For the first time in my life, I'm free.
And I owe it all to him."
---
The response was immediate.
Shares. Likes. Comments.
People who had never spoken up before started sharing their own stories.
David wrote about his student loans. His debt. His desperation.
Sarah wrote about her mother. Her sacrifices. Her hope.
James wrote about his burnout. His loneliness. His redemption.
The narrative shifted.
Not overnight.
But it shifted.
---
Damien read each post.
His face was calm.
But his hands were shaking.
Christabel took his hand.
"You're emotional."
"I'm not emotional."
"You're crying."
"I'm not crying."
"You're crying."
"They're happy tears."
That night, Christabel put Lena to bed.
Not Damien. Her.
Lena was full of questions.
"Mama, why is Papa happy?"
"Because people are being nice to him."
"Why?"
"Because they know the truth now."
"What truth?"
"That he's a good man."
---
Damien appeared in the doorway.
"She's asleep?"
"She's dreaming."
"Of what?"
"Of you."
He walked to her.
Took her hand.
"We have a family now."
"We always had a family."
"Now the world knows."
First Line of Chapter 163 (Teaser):
"The one hundred eighteenth week, the politicians launched an investigation. Not because they believed the lies. Because they were afraid. And Damien welcomed them. Because he had nothing to hide."