“The Ashton Group is better off without her! That woman was nothing more than a country girl, deluded into thinking she could transform herself. Years of wealth can’t polish someone like that. Her vulgarity always shows through.”
Before Leah could respond, Tracy pressed on, her tone lightening slightly.
“Leah, concentrate on recovering for now. Once you’re feeling better, we should arrange a family dinner to discuss your marriage to Bruce.”
“Of course,” Leah answered sweetly, her voice honeyed but calculated. After a few more minutes of conversation, she ended the call and leaned back with a satisfied sigh.
Her moment of peace was shattered as her assistant burst into the room, her face flushed and eyes wide with alarm.
“Leah, something terrible has happened!”
Leah’s expression darkened, a flicker of impatience tightening her features.
“What now?”
The assistant handed over a tablet with trembling hands.
“It’s the video we posted earlier. Another account just released an unedited version. It shows you pushing Corrine onto the road. The internet is in an uproar.”
Leah’s brows knitted into a deep furrow as she snatched the tablet. Her elegant composure dissolved into icy disdain while her fingers, shaking with suppressed…
Anger boiled within Leah as she scrolled through the endless stream of comments. Arguments raged beneath the video, dividing fans and critics. Each side hurled accusations and defenses, the chaos only adding to Leah’s simmering fury
“Why would Corrine pick a fight with Leah in the middle of a crowded street? Maybe Leah should take a good look in the mirror first.”
“The real issue here is that she got caught red-handed. How does she still have the audacity to show her face in public?”
“I’d love to know what makes Leah so bold-acting like she can toy with people’s lives. Honestly, two slaps and a dislocated arm sound far too forgiving!”
Leah’s rage ignited instantly, her eyes narrowing with a glint of icy venom. She hurled the tablet to the floor with a loud crack, her voice rising in fury.
“What are you waiting for? Get that video taken down right now!”
“No amount of money can fix this,” her assistant stammered, her gaze darting nervously to Leah’s clenched fists.
“The PR team already tried, but the video is locked down. Corrine’s name has even been flagged as a protected keyword-we can’t manipulate public opinion anymore.”
Leah ripped off her face mask and flung it aside in a fit of rage, her usual poise replaced by a storm of frustration. Her delicate features twisted into an expression of pure malice.
Who could be pulling strings to protect Corrine?
In an instant, a blurry image flashed through Leah’s mind. Could it be him? Her instincts screamed that the man in the car was far from ordinary.
She had severely underestimated Corrine, never expecting her to find a new protector so quickly.
“Find out who owns the Rolls-Royce that was parked outside the restaurant last night!” Leah’s voice was tightly controlled, her anger simmering just beneath the surface.
“And get those people out of the police station, now!”
“But the police said they have criminal records. Until the investigation clears, they’re not allowed to contact anyone or be bailed out,” her assistant said hesitantly.
Leah’s eyes darkened with growing frustration.
Before she could respond, the door slammed open, and her agent, Spencer Ruiz, stormed in, his face a mask of fury. He threw a contract onto the table.
“Look at what you’ve done!” The words rang in the air like a slap.
“The endorsement deal you just signed wants out, and they’re demanding a penalty! Plus, several film projects just rejected your auditions!”
“What?” Leah’s face drained of color, her legs wobbling as if the floor had suddenly disappeared beneath her.
Spencer shoved a tablet in front of her, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
“Take a good look at this.”
On the screen, Waldo, the top lawyer in Lyhaton, had just posted an update.
“On behalf of Miss Corrine Holland, I have sent a legal notice to Miss Leah Burgess. Please review immediately.”
The words “attempted murder” and “intentional injury” in the legal notice jumped out at her, striking Leah with cold terror
She felt her hand tighten around the tablet, her knuckles blanching. Her eyes burned with a mix of fury and disbelief.
“It was just a harmless prank-how can they accuse me of attempted murder?”
Spencer scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain.
“Because the people at the police station have confessed everything. The company wants you to hold a press conference right away to clear this up, and you’ll be sidelined until it blows over.”
The reality of being sidelined hit Leah with the force of a punch. No one knew better than her what that meant.
She had finally broken free from her former employer with Bruce’s help, returning to rebuild her career on her own terms. Her new agency had even mapped out her future, but now, a legal notice had thrown everything into chaos, and she was being forced to step back.
She refused to let it end like this!
“There has to be some room to work this out,” Leah insisted, her voice firm, though the tension in her chest tightened with every word.
She hadn’t fought so hard to make a comeback only to be shut down now. What would she have left if she were sidelined?
Spencer’s lips curled into a mocking smile at her words.
“A directive just went out to clean up the industry’s mess-it’s all about rooting out the illegal and unethical. You’re smack in the middle of it, acting recklessly in a time when everyone’s watching. What makes you think there’s any room for negotiation?”
Leah felt his words strike her like a slap, draining her of what little energy she had left. She sank onto the bed, her gaze distant, empty.
Why was this happening? It all felt like some cruel twist of fate, as though everything had been orchestrated against her.
Corrine had played every hand so perfectly, and it seemed luck was completely on her side.
“You’re on your own now,” Spencer said coldly, turning toward the door.
Just before he left, he paused, glancing back with a sharp smirk.
“By the way, due to your breach of contract, the company has every right to demand compensation. You might want to start preparing your finances-don’t be surprised if you end up bankrupt.”
While Leah was engulfed in a state of utter despair, Corrine was engrossed in the latest social media updates over coffee. Just five minutes earlier, Leah had addressed the media from her hospital room, apologetically acknowledging her mistakes to her fans and vowing to make amends and seek Corrine’s forgiveness with sincerity. On camera, Leah maintained a calm facade, her glistening tears instantly stirring empathy from the audience. However, these tears were nothing more than a strategic ploy to garner pity and forgiveness. In the end, her actions had simply circled back to her.
“Miss Holland, I’ve brought the documents for the upcoming bidding event,” Natasha said as she entered the office, setting the paperwork on Corrine’s desk. Corrine gave a nod of approval.
“The PR team has outdone themselves this time.”
Natasha hesitated before responding, her voice laced with uncertainty
“Actually, it wasn’t really our team. I thought you might have assigned it elsewhere.”
Corrine looked puzzled for a moment.
“Oh, I see. Thank you, you can return to your tasks now.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.