Chapter 166
Someone even released evidence of Laurel bullying female classmates in high school, proving this had always been her
character.
The attacks gradually expanded from her love life to her work and personal life.
News about Laurel’s poor acting skills, lip–syncing during performances, plastic surgeries, stepping on former friends to advance her career during her three years abroad, and sabotaging newcomers one by one, these topics climbed the trending search rankings.
–
I raised an eyebrow as I watched the explosion of posts online. No wonder Blake wanted me to clarify things – the pressure from public opinion had clearly become too intense for him to handle.
My phone rang, and Astrid’s name flashed on the screen.
“Audrey!” she exclaimed as soon as I answered. “You seen what’s happening online? This is karma! Laurel Rose thought she could destroy you with internet trolls, but it backfired. Now she’s the one whose reputation is in ruins!”
I frowned. “Besides me, who else has Laurel Rose offended?”
Though I was pleased to see Laurel facing backlash, I wasn’t naive enough to believe this tide of public opinion was spontaneous, especially when strong enough to leave even Blake helpless.
“With her personality,” Astrid coughed nervously, “isn’t it normal she’s offended powerful people? She…”
“Astrid,” I cut her off. “How much did you spend orchestrating this?”
After a long silence, Astrid sighed. “You’re too sharp. I couldn’t stand watching Laurel bully you, so I invested about a hundred thousand to control the narrative…”
“Astrid,” I pressed, “if you only invested that much, Blake’s people could clean up those posts in minutes. Tell me the truth. How much did you actually spend?”
“I swear it was just a hundred thousand!” Astrid protested. “But my contribution was just small change. The real money came from Felix and the mysterious person behind him!”
My hand tightened around the phone. “Felix is involved in this?”
“Yes. But Felix is just doing the work. The person who put up most of the money is the mysterious figure behind him. I’ve asked him repeatedly, but he won’t say who it is. Maybe it’s some rich person from New York high society who secretly admires you.”
Astrid’s words made my head buzz with sudden realization.
This mysterious person…
Probably wasn’t some wealthy admirer with a crush on me.
But rather…
Blake’s POV
Chapter 166
Standing in a hospital corridor, I accepted a file from Michael.
“Sir, we’ve figured it out,” Michael said. “Felix Thompson is behind everything.”
He continued, “But before he began manipulating public opinion, he received two transfers. One was $150,000 from Astrid Wilson.”
Michael paused. “The other, much larger sum… was from Mr. William Parker to him.”
I stared at the transfer figures, a cold smile forming on my lips.
Grandfather really went all out to help Audrey.
No wonder we couldn’t delete those posts, no matter what we tried.
I shut the file and handed it to Michael. The proof was right there my grandfather had pulled serious strings to destroy Laurel’s reputation online.
“Get the car ready,” I said. “We’re going to the mansion.”
Michael nodded, taking the file. His eyes darted toward Laurel’s hospital room.
“What about Miss Rose?” he asked.
Before I could answer, the elevator doors at the end of the hallway opened. Jennifer rushed out, hair wild and eyes frantic. She sprinted down the corridor without noticing us.
“Laurel!” she screamed, making a beeline for the room.
I watched her pass, making no move to stop her.
“Get the car,” I told Michael. “And contact Audrey. She’s blocked my number, but she needs to come to the Parker mansion
right away.”
“Do you think she’ll agree?” Michael asked.
“Tell her it concerns her directly. And that my grandfather is waiting.”
Michael nodded. “Of course.”
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Divorce Me Before Death Takes Me, CEO
Chapter 167
