Chapter83 Clarifying the Rumors
Clifton looked at her, the amusement in his eyes about to overflow.
He released his hand and leisurely straightened his collar, his voice still carrying a hint of suppressed huskiness.
"Castillo's brother, I know him. We've dealt with each other a few times." He said lightly. "Getting him to find an excuse to call his sister away isn't difficult."
Miranda suddenly understood, only urging: "That's good. Then you should leave quickly too, before Castillo comes back."
But Clifton not only didn't leave, he followed her out of the narrow bathroom and sat directly on the chair beside her hospital bed, legs crossed, posture relaxed, showing no intention of leaving.
Miranda's nerves tensed again. She anxiously lowered her voice: "Why aren't you leaving? When Castillo comes back, won't your fake leg injury be exposed?"
She looked at his excessively handsome face with a hint of warning: "If you do this on purpose, I won't cover for you."
Just as her words fell, the sound of light wheels came from outside the ward door.
Miranda turned her head in confusion to see a man in black casual clothes pushing a brand new wheelchair in. He nodded slightly at Clifton, then quietly exited the ward.
Under Miranda's stunned gaze, Clifton unhurriedly stood up and sat directly in the wheelchair.
He adjusted his position. When he looked up at her again, those deep eyes carried more teasing.
Seeing him so fully prepared, Miranda swallowed back all the words at her lips, unable to say a single word.
Just then, her phone rang abruptly.
It was Lisa.
Miranda answered. Lisa's steady and efficient voice immediately came through: "Miranda, following your instructions, all the troll companies and marketing accounts spreading rumors have been sued. The court moved quickly. Summons have been issued."
Miranda's eyes sharpened, a cold glint flashing: "Good."
After hanging up, she looked up to find the man holding a laptop that looked incredibly familiar in style and color.
Miranda froze: "Isn't this the laptop I left at home?"
"Yes." Clifton placed the computer on the bedside table in front of her, his dark eyes looking at her intently. "I thought you'd need it."
Miranda looked at the computer. Her lips, taut all day, finally curved into a genuine smile.
That smile was like a ray of sunshine, instantly dispersing the pallor and exhaustion on her face.
"Yes, I do need it." She looked at him, her eyes sparkling. "The evidence to clear me of cheating is in this computer. Thank you."
She reached out to take the laptop.
But before her fingertips touched it, Clifton's hand pressed on the computer first, stopping her.
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze locking on her intensely: "Just saying thanks with words?"
Miranda froze, seeing the undisguised demand in his eyes. Her cheeks warmed slightly.
She knew she couldn't escape, so she resignedly leaned forward and quickly kissed his sharply defined cheek, breaking away immediately.
After doing this, she quickly retreated, not daring to look into the man's eyes.
This man really didn't care about location when his desires rose. She didn't want to be with him in the hospital...
The amusement in Clifton's eyes deepened. This time, he didn't make things difficult for her and released his hand.
Miranda immediately took the computer over and turned it on.
She didn't look at those toxic comments online but directly opened an encrypted folder on the desktop.
Inside were all the diagnostic records from when she was kidnapped and hospitalized, police receipts, and surveillance screenshots showing Harrison never visited her during her hospital stay.
These were originally chips she'd prepared to secure more benefits during the divorce. She hadn't expected them to now become her most powerful weapon against Ariana.
Miranda edited the text, attached all the evidence screenshots, and posted directly from her personal account.
[This is Miranda. My marriage with Mr. Harrison ended long ago due to emotional breakdown.]
[Regarding the recent "cheating during marriage" rumors circulating online, they are pure fabrication. During my marriage with Mr. Harrison, I never did anything that violated morality.]
[On the contrary, I was once hospitalized for half a month after being kidnapped. During that time, Mr. Harrison never visited. The relationship had long been hollow. Regarding the rumor spreader, Mr. Harrison's current girlfriend Miss Ariana, I will reserve the right to pursue legal responsibility. Relevant evidence is attached below:...]
After posting, she immediately sent Lisa a message: "Use company resources to buy my post onto trending topics."
Immediately after, her company issued an official statement, attaching screenshots of court summons for those troll accounts, with a tough attitude and clear stance.
After completing everything, Miranda let out a long breath and leaned back against the soft pillow.
Clifton quietly watched her series of smooth operations, an imperceptible appreciation flashing through his deep eyes.
The internet fermentation speed was astonishing.
After Miranda and the company both entered the fray with solid evidence, online public opinion instantly reversed.
Netizens who'd been cursing Miranda now switched sides, turning their attacks on Ariana and Harrison.
[Epic plot twist! Turns out the mistress is crying thief!]
[Miranda is so pitiful. Kidnapped and hospitalized, her husband didn't care at all. After divorce, she still gets smeared by her ex's current girlfriend?]
[Feel so bad for Miranda.]
For a time, online condemnation of Ariana and Harrison flooded in.
...
In an upscale apartment.
"Bang!"
The latest model tablet was viciously smashed to the floor, its screen instantly shattering.
Ariana looked at those unbearable insults online, trembling with rage, her carefully made-up face twisted somewhat grotesquely.
Just then, the sound of a key unlocking came from the door.
Ariana's expression changed. She almost instantly put away all her venom. Frantically, she kicked the tablet fragments under the sofa.
Then she put on a grieved expression and threw herself into Harrison's arms the moment he entered.
Harrison steadied her. Seeing her red-rimmed eyes, his brows furrowed tightly, his voice carrying exhaustion: "The online situation, did you do it?"
Ariana's body stiffened sharply. She looked up at Harrison in disbelief, tears instantly flowing.
"Harrison, even you don't believe me?" She cried until her eyes were red. "I just saw the online rumors too. How could I do such a thing? Sister Miranda did nothing wrong. If I did this, wouldn't I harm myself too?"
She felt sick inside.
She never expected Miranda still had evidence from the kidnapping case.
That incident directly nailed Harrison to the pillar of shame as someone whose "wife was hospitalized while he fooled around outside," and she, Ariana, was thoroughly labeled a "mistress."
Not only did she fail to get revenge on Miranda, she made a mess of herself.
However, seeing the news of Miranda's hospitalization in the statement, Ariana felt inexplicably better.
She leaned in Harrison's arms, sobbing, her voice soft and understanding: "Harrison, the online public opinion is very bad for your reputation. Maybe... we should go to the hospital to visit Miranda?"
"And also... ask her to help clarify to netizens that we weren't together then. There was no cheating."