Chapter 16
Corinne took one look at the headline and photo and nearly dropped the bowl in shock.
[Mathis Group CEO Nigel Caught in Late-Night Kiss with Mystery Woman at Bar!]
Corinne didn’t even have time to comfort the still-crying Rolland. Her full attention was on Lottie, her tone filled with concern. “Mrs. Mathis, are you alright? The internet these days-it’s a mess. Photos like that could easily be fake. Don’t jump to conclusions. Wait until Mr. Mathis gets home and talk to him directly, face-to-face.”
“Yeah.”
Lottie lifted the lid of the soup and quietly began sipping.
Real or fake?
She’d seen it all with her own eyes last night.
There was nothing left to ask.
It was then that Corinne noticed how swollen her eyes were.
After a few moments of hesitation, she went upstairs and made a call to the Mathis manor. “Yes. I think she’s already seen the headlines. She skipped lunch, and her eyes… they’re swollen from crying.”
The family elders hadn’t been keeping up with the entertainment news.
But once they were informed, the entire place erupted.
They thought, ‘Nigel and the widowed Esther?
‘What a scandal. Does the Mathis family not care about decency anymore? About our reputation?”
Erma had to take two fast-acting heart pills-but they didn’t help. She passed out from sheer rage.
The Mathis manor descended into chaos.
In contrast, Lottie seemed almost serene.
She finished her soup at her own pace and, with puffy eyes and Corinne’s sympathetic gaze following her, quietly went back upstairs.
As soon as she closed her bedroom door, Nancy’s voice call came through.
“I’m telling you, it wasn’t me.”
She sounded determined to clear her name. “Just look at the photo angle-you can tell it wasn’t from the shots I took.”
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“I know.”
Lottie walked into the bathroom, set the phone on speaker on the vanity, and pulled an eye mask from the mini fridge. “If it had been you, you would’ve at least held off and tried to squeeze a check out of Nigel first.”
She’d already done a quick check earlier downstairs.
The story had started circulating last night, but it didn’t go viral until a couple of hours ago.
The way it gained traction felt a little too natural.
It was likely the work of someone from Nigel’s business circle-an enemy with a score to settle.
Nancy’s tone shifted-half amused, half exasperated. “Hey, don’t slander me. I’m a lawyer, remember? I don’t do black- mail.”
“Sure, sure.”
Lottie replied with mock sincerity, “Let’s just call it… a reasonable handling fee for managing third-party affair pho-
tos.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
Nancy let out a laugh, then shifted back to business. “Still… that leak was fast. You think this might mess with your plan? And seriously, what kind of grudge leads to this?”
She chuckled. “Revenge over a woman? Someone else had their eye on Esther?”
“I doubt it.”
Lottie shook her head as she applied the cooling mask, her voice muffled slightly. “Whatever it is, as long as it doesn’t mess with my timeline, I don’t care.”
If she had confronted Nigel about the affair herself, she would’ve been seen as petty, emotional-an inconvenience.
But now?
Now she was the victim. And victims are harder to criticize.
*****
That evening, Corinne cooked all of Lottie’s favorite dishes.
But Lottie was still feeling queasy from the hangover. Her appetite was gone. She only managed to finish half a plate of pasta and barely touched the rest.
Corinne sighed softly, trying to comfort her. “Don’t take it too hard. Erma was so furious she had to be taken to the hospital. I’m sure she’ll stand up for you. Erin also asked me to look after you-she’ll come by once Erma’s condition. stabilizes.”
“She’s in the hospital?”
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Lottie frowned. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“Everyone just… feels sorry for you.”
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