On the other side, Lance walked out of the neighborhood, his face turning cold instantly.
Once in the car, he parted his thin lips slightly and questioned Xavier, "Did you find out what happened?"
"Yes, someone is pushing this matter from behind. I suspect it's Miss Cody, but the other party is very thorough, and we haven't gathered any evidence related to her," Xavier reported his findings.
As expected, Lance's face turned grim.
Although Xavier said there was no evidence, Lance knew that Bella was likely involved.
Thinking about it, he narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Have the PR department clarify things tomorrow. As for those media outlets, let the legal department handle them."
"Yes!" Xavier nodded in agreement.
The next morning, the Mercer Group's official website released a clarification announcement.
The main points were twofold.
First, while the Mercer Group and Cody Group had business dealings, there were no intentions of marriage.
Second, the Mercer Group would take legal action against media outlets spreading false information online to protect its reputation.
The announcement caused an uproar among netizens.
"How embarrassing."
"I thought the two families were really going to get married. The wedding, the dress, the invitations-all seemed so real. Turns out it was just a rumor. This is quite thought-provoking."
"So, can I understand this announcement as Miss Cody trying to latch onto the Mercer family heir?"
For a time, there was a lot of online chatter about Bella being desperate to marry.
Netizens mocked Bella mercilessly.
After all, there were plenty of keyboard warriors who resented the rich.
Bella initially had no idea what was happening online.
She arrived at the company as usual but noticed that the employees around her were giving her strange looks.
At first, she thought there was something wrong with her clothes or makeup. She checked herself and looked at her reflection in the glass door but found nothing amiss.
Finally, she entered her office and called her assistant. "Go find out why everyone is looking at me strangely today."
The assistant stood still, not moving.
Bella frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Well, General Manager, there's no need to ask. I know why," the assistant said reluctantly and explained what was happening online.
After hearing it, Bella's face changed dramatically. She immediately picked up her phone to check online and saw that the Mercer Group's announcement was trending. Her face turned even darker, and she felt a deep sense of frustration and discomfort.
She had thought that while Lance was out of the country, she could use public opinion to pressure him into fulfilling her wishes.
But she hadn't expected to fail and even bring trouble upon herself.
Just as she was about to instruct her assistant to handle the online situation, the office phone rang. It was a call from the chairman's office.
Bella answered the phone and heard her father's angry voice.
"Look at what you've done! Come to my office immediately!"
With that, Jeffery Cody hung up.
Bella didn't dare delay and went straight to the chairman's office.
Jeffery saw her and immediately threw a water cup from his desk at her, shouting angrily, "Look at what you've done! You've disgraced me completely. Do you know how many people are laughing at us now?!"
Bella's shoulders trembled under his scolding.
She couldn't help but tear up and defended herself in a choked voice, "I didn't do this."
"If not you, then who? Everyone knows you want to marry him!" Jeffery scolded again.
Bella couldn't refute it. Tears streamed down her face as she finally admitted in a choked voice, "Yes, I did it. So what if I want to marry Lance?"
Seeing his daughter so smitten with Lance, Jeffery suddenly fell silent.
He sighed deeply. After all, she was his beloved child from a young age.
"Now you see that Lance has no interest in you. Don't be stubborn anymore. I'll find someone else for you who won't be any worse than him!"
"I don't want anyone else; I want Lance!" Bella refused without hesitation.
She had liked Lance for so many years and was so close to marrying him. She couldn't give up now.
Moreover, she was the eldest daughter of the Cody family, backed by the entire Cody Group. She didn't believe she would lose!
Jeffery looked at his daughter's determined eyes with both anger and heartache. He frowned and said sternly, "You want Lance, but he doesn't want you. Are you willing to degrade yourself until you have no dignity left?"
Bella bit her lower lip; her meaning was clear.
She wouldn't give up either way.
Seeing this, Jeffery felt a sharp pain in his chest. He pointed at her with a trembling hand but couldn't say a word for a long time.
Bella spoke again with unusual determination in her voice, "In this life, I will marry no one but Lance!"
With that declaration, she turned and left.
Jeffery shouted angrily after her.
"You stubborn girl! Come back here!"