Chapter 475 This Is Going to Confirm the Rumors?
"Thalia, get up right now and check the trending topics."
"What trending topic now? I've been behaving myself lately." Thalia sat up in bed, rubbing her messy hair.
She touched the empty space beside her. It was still a bit warm.
"William's suspected secret marriage. If you keep being so careless, sooner or later William's going to sell you out."
Although William fell in love easily, Thalia wasn't much better. She was sharp and calculating when she needed to be, but whenever William showed any vulnerability in front of her, she'd protect him no matter what.
"Why would he do that? What's in it for him?"
"He gets legitimacy," Layla shot back through gritted teeth.
"That doesn't make sense!"
"What sense do you need?" Layla sat in her car, banging her aching head against the window, waiting for Thalia to check Facebook.
[Is it Ms. Smith? Haven't they always had rumors about them? Remember when Ms. Smith slept with Mr. Brown back then.]
[I think it's pretty much confirmed. If it's Ms. Smith, this is going to be interesting.]
[Who remembers Mr. Brown's expression when Ms. Smith dealt with Walter? Pure adoration.]
[Secret marriage? Someone as high-profile as Ms. Smith would hide it if she got Mr. Brown? With her flashy personality, she'd want the whole world to know.]
[Live stream at 8 PM tonight, analyzing the key points of William's secret marriage.]
"Damn it! They're doing live streams now? Who are they calling flashy?" Thalia scrolled through the comments, her face turning dark with anger.
"Done reading?"
"Done."
"What do you think?"
"I want to curse someone out."
"Haven't you thought about this - you and Mr. Brown have been secretly married for a year without anyone finding out, so why is it exposed now?"
Did Dione do this?
Thalia thought about it - it could only be her.
Otherwise, who else would have the ability?
"His enemies?"
"What enemy has that kind of power?"
"William is the highest authority in Emerald City. Spreading rumors about him—are they waiting to get sued?" Layla scratched her hair. "Haven't you considered that this might be a show Mr. Brown staged himself?"
"You're awake?" Just as Layla finished speaking, she heard William's voice.
It startled her so much that her hand holding the phone trembled.
If William found out she was trying to drive a wedge between these two, she'd be done for. Quick as lightning, she hung up the phone.
"Went for a run?"
"Yeah."
"Wasn't it cold?"
"Indoor."
"Did you see the news?" The man's short-sleeved shirt clung tightly to his body. Hearing Thalia's question, he seemed a bit confused.
"What news?"
"Check it out first."
Thalia handed him her phone. William took it and glanced at it, his expression instantly turning cold and dark. He turned back to comfort Thalia. "I'll call Brian, don't worry."
Thalia remembered Layla's words and had wanted to ask William about it, but hearing him say this, she stopped.
If this were a show he staged himself, he wouldn't call to yell at someone, would he?
From the bathroom came William's angry scolding.
Brian arrived at the office early in the morning and got chewed out before he even got out of the elevator.
He was completely dazed by the scolding.
Only after hanging up did he react. "Ms. Jolie."
"Did you catch what Mr. Brown meant?"
"He said you guys were incompetent and let him end up in the news," Angelina stood next to Brian with her bag, having listened to William scold for ten minutes. She couldn't have been more entertained.
She found this behavior of breaking the rules himself and making his subordinates take the blame despicable.
Had the guts to do it but not to admit it?
Afraid Thalia would find out and teach him a lesson?
"So should I have it taken down?" Brian asked ambiguously.
"Take it down and you're a dead man."
"Then what am I supposed to do?" Brian's face fell.
"Mr. Brown waited over a year and finally got a chance to go public with his secret marriage. If you ruin it, what do you think he'll do to you?"
Brian felt a chill down his back.
Seeing that Brian understood, Angelina patted his shoulder. "Good boy, young man, you need to handle the pressure."
...........
"Did you deliberately leak the news about your secret marriage yourself? William, you're too sneaky. If Thalia finds out you did this yourself, won't you be cornered?"
Amara had been working nonstop for days and wanted to sleep well on her day off, but when she saw the news, she was wide awake.
William hung his coat on the office rack, turned around, and responded casually to Amara's words. "I'm not cornered, I just have a dead end ahead."
"At least you're self-aware."
Amara opened the office door, stuck her head out to look at the secretaries, and asked for a coffee.
"If you get found out someday, let me know. I'll definitely come find you with my medical kit, free of charge!"
Mainly because she wanted to watch the drama unfold.
.........
"Recently, don't go back to Mistwood Hill. Avoid suspicion. Go back to the Smith Villa or your own place." Layla thought about it all day and finally couldn't help but speak up.
If news of Thalia's secret marriage got out, all those advertisers they signed with would come demanding compensation.
They had to prevent it no matter what.
Isla heard Layla's words, looked up at her, thinking that if William found out about this, there'd definitely be trouble.
"Alright," Thalia nodded. She happened to want to go back to the Smith Villa to ask Grace about some things.
In the evening, after Thalia finished her scenes, the setting sun fell, and streetlights along the road lit up one after another.
Thalia, wearing her coat, walked toward the van with her head down, looking at her phone.
Isla, who was walking ahead carrying bags, suddenly stopped. Thalia, caught off guard, almost bumped into her.
"What's wrong?"
Isla was speechless, her mouth open for a long time, not daring to speak.
Her panicked gaze swept toward the Maybach parked in front of their car.
She swallowed hard.
William was right in the center of the scandal, already exposed for his secret marriage. Instead of avoiding suspicion, he was rushing over to find Thalia. Was he trying to confirm the rumors?