The dishes were already served, and Tiffany, starving, began to eat. "Yes," she replied casually, admitting it without hesitation.

Seeing Abbie still in tears, Tiffany handed her a tissue. "I was going to give you a heads-up before leaking it, to prepare you mentally," she said nonchalantly. "But those two had the nerve to interrupt my meal, so I just dropped it and obliterated them!"

Her carefree words made Nevaeh and the assistant burst into laughter. To Tiffany, nothing was more important than eating. In her fierce, hungry mode, no one should cross her path. If Freddie and Milly knew they were ruthlessly exposed simply for interrupting Tiffany's meal, they would be incredibly furious.

Of course, Tiffany had done this to stand up for Abbie. Despite her young age and seemingly reckless attitude, Tiffany never allowed her people to suffer or be wronged. If justice needed to be served, she wouldn't hesitate; no one could harm her crew.

Abbie wiped away her tears, laughing and crying simultaneously. She cried and laughed because she was moved. Only then did she realize how foolish she had been. Sacrificing her bright future for that scoundrel wasn't worth it. Not one bit.

"Thank you, Tiffany," Abbie said, her voice trembling with gratitude.

"Alright, enough tears," Tiffany said, handing her another tissue, her tone relaxed. "People only learn from pain, after hitting a wall. It's in the past now." Although these words were for Abbie, Tiffany also spoke to herself. She had hit that wall hard, been battered, yet refused to back down. Her price had been far worse than Abbie's. In a way, they were equally foolish.

Nevaeh thought for a moment, then asked, "Ms. Kelley, what if they try to take down the trending topic? Public opinion can fade. If they keep a low profile, people might forget."

If Freddie and Milly controlled public opinion and stayed low, time might erase their misdeeds.

Tiffany chuckled and leisurely sipped her orange juice. "They won't be able to." To ensure Freddie and Milly had no escape, she'd struck a deal with Kenneth, agreeing to leave Melody alone. She even added a generous gesture, saying she looked forward to working with Melody in the future—a polite gesture only; Tiffany would never work with Melody. With everything she'd done, Kenneth wouldn't dare remove the story unless he wanted trouble. And true to his word, he hadn't.

Meanwhile, Milly and Freddie, after initial panic, felt a bit more at ease. They had a skilled PR team. They'd weathered storms; this was no different. Their strategy was to flip the narrative, accusing Abbie of seeking attention, and deny everything else. Once the trending topics were removed and they'd spent money on image repair, it would all blow over. Or so they thought. Unexpectedly, their PR team informed them the trending posts couldn't be removed.

"What do you mean they can't be taken down?" Freddie barked into the phone, losing his temper. "Just offer more money! I don't care how much it costs. Make it disappear!"

The PR team replied, "It's not about the money. Mr. Kenneth Harper himself blocked the takedown request. Every media outlet refused to help. No amount of money will solve this."

The PR team was stressed. "Who exactly did you offend this time? This is tough. Right now, the only way to calm the situation is for Abbie to speak up." Having the person at the center of the scandal speak was the best solution, but useless; Freddie wouldn't ask Abbie for help.

Seething with rage, Freddie slammed the phone down, cursing, "I thought you were the best, but you're nothing but useless idiots!"

Milly, anxious, clutched Freddie's hand. "Why can't we get the trending topic removed? Freddie, you need to figure something out!"

He pushed her away. "Enough! Stop bothering me!" When calm, they were a sweet, loving couple; in crisis, their interactions devolved into mutual blame.

Freddie said, "If it weren't for you provoking her last time, would she have retaliated so ruthlessly?"

"You're blaming me?" Milly was livid. "If you cared about her, why did you make her take the fall? And now you're blaming me?"

"That was your idea!" Freddie snapped, turning away.

"But you agreed! You enjoyed her resources! You thrived on her hard work! Then you kicked her to the curb!" Milly laughed bitterly. "Yes, I trampled over her, cut off her contracts, and forced her into those no-name web dramas. I admit that. But what about you? What right do you have to accuse me?"

With that, she stormed out of Freddie's house. This mansion, recently purchased, hadn't been discovered by paparazzi. No one saw Milly leave alone in her car. Relying on Freddie was useless. She gripped the steering wheel. She'd clawed her way to the top; this scandal wouldn't ruin her. She needed a solution.

With the Harper family involved, every major media outlet refused to cooperate. To remove the story, she needed someone more powerful than the Harpers—Richard. Aligning herself with him would make the entertainment industry child's play. She'd be unstoppable. With this thought, Milly drove straight to Royal Bay.

It was late. A few scattered stars dotted the sky. Clouds obscured the crescent moon, casting a hazy glow. Royal Bay remained grand and imposing. The large villa was brightly lit, a mysterious, majestic presence in the mist rising from the hilltop.

Milly cautiously approached. Oddly, the gates were closed, and everything was eerily quiet; no servants or bodyguards. Though strange, Royal Bay was rumored to have the world's most advanced security technology. Even a fly would be scanned.

Milly was awed by this lifestyle—a king's luxury, unmatched wealth, and nation-shaking power. She fantasized about getting close to Richard. That thought gave her courage. She was about to press the doorbell when, with a soft click, the iron gates opened automatically. "What's going on? Did Mr. Hampton see me and open the gates?" Excitement and nerves flooded her. She smoothed her dress and nervously stepped through the gates of Royal Bay.