Chapter 25

“What? Eleanor has a child?”

The entire banquet hall erupted into murmurs. This was huge gossip—no, it was a massive scandal! Everyone knew Eleanor had been openly and secretly competing with Philip for control over Sandberg Group. If news like this got out, she could kiss her inheritance goodbye. After all, a woman with a messy personal life couldn’t be the head of the prestigious company—it would completely destroy the company’s reputation.

Shock and disbelief spread through the crowd.

“Ms. Trenton, is that true? You can’t just make claims like this!”

“Of course it’s true!” Mallory pushed herself up from the floor, holding up the hospital record with Eleanor’s name written on it. “This was issued by Jorpione General Hospital! It’s all recorded! Eleanor is a cheap woman who acts all pure and untouchable while sneaking around with men behind everyone’s backs!”

The guests crowded around to get a look at the document. It really did seem authentic. Their view of Eleanor started to change.

A few wealthy ladies whispered among themselves.

“She had a baby at 15? Wasn’t she still in high school? She was already messing around at that age. If Mrs. Porter knew about it, she would be heartbroken.”

“Who’s the father? Could he be some lowlife?”

“Probably. Young women that age love hanging around those useless dropouts. A friend of a friend’s daughter got tricked by some punk at 16 and ended up pregnant. She had no choice but to get rid of it.”

“Seriously, they have no self-respect at all.”

As they talked among themselves, they’d already convinced themselves that Eleanor was nothing more than a reckless woman who’d slept around and gotten herself pregnant when she was a teenager. Their eyes were filled with disdain.

Mallory let out a deep breath, satisfied. Sebastian’s expression was cold, but there was something unreadable in his eyes. A man in a black suit approached him from behind and asked in Criptonese, “Mr. Whitman, do you need us to step in?”

Sebastian turned and walked downstairs. Meanwhile, Eleanor, who’d frozen in shock momentarily, relaxed and smiled as she leaned against the staircase railing.

“Mallory, if you’re going to make up a story, at least make it somewhat believable.”

Mallory sneered, “Are you saying I’m lying?”

Eleanor crossed her arms and strolled down the stairs gracefully before stopping in front of Mallory. “Even kids could whip out a so-called hospital record in a few minutes. Anyone could type it on a computer and print it out, then claim it’s from a hospital. That’s not reliable.”

“It has your blood type and ID number on it!” Mallory rebuked.

Eleanor chuckled, a hint of mischief in her smile. “In this day and age, whose personal information hasn’t been leaked? One minute you’re talking to a friend about buying a handbag, and the next, your shopping app is flooded with bag recommendations.”

“Given how much data is collected online these days, no one has any privacy. So, what’s so special about my ID number? You think this counts as evidence?”

At her words, the crowd started to waver.

Mallory grew frantic. “You’re just making excuses!”